The Magus Among Ninjas
by Parcasious
Summary: Following a dream is never easy, and at times impractical. Yet sometimes, dreams are worth fighting for. A young child will grow into a man, a man into a saviour, and a saviour into a hero. (Slight AU aspects)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Prologue: A Child's Ideal**

* * *

The people hidden in the whirlpool and eddies.

A proud village.

A pacifist village.

And it was her home that she was being forced away from.

Kushina pushed back the tears that were welling in her eyes. It was hard enough for her mother, Shizuka, to let her go, but it would be even harder if she left crying. Her twin stood beside her, hands placed firmly over her shoulder to comfort her. O Shirou, she was going to miss him.

The fact that he had argued to take her place left her feeling slightly hopeful. Yet she knew that she wouldn't be able to bare the guilt of forcing her brother away. _What kind of older sibling would she be if she left her problems onto her sibling?_ To make matters worse, Shirou was born with an imbalance of his physical and spiritual chakra. He may _die_ through the sealing. Of what kind, she had yet to know, but there was no way she, or her family, could accept that risk. And _still_ , Shirou had insisted.

He wasn't even a shinobi, he was a civilian. Not that he wasn't capable, but she knew he wasn't suited for it. Not when he spent all of his allowance buying candy for children, and doing odd jobs for anyone who would ask something of him for their own convenience. She put an end to that the moment they began badgering him about homework. _They could do it themselves._

Perhaps the largest reason however, was his ideology. He wanted to be a hero. A smile began to tug on her lips. It was a dream unbecoming of a member of the main family whose sole duty was to protect and maintain the village. To Shirou, to be a hero was to protect everyone.

For shinobi, it was different.

 _Live for the village. Die for the village._

That was the shinobi way.

Which was why… "I'll be alright," she spoke, pushing Shirou away with a wry smile. "Besides, I'm the oldest."

She watched as Shirou frowned and made to object, but relented when she began to glare. This was her duty, regardless if she liked it or not.

Kushina turned her back on Shirou and walked up to her grandfather, Hideki, the Uzukage. "I'm ready," she spoke before she could lose her resolve.

"Father, surely there can be another way?" Toma, Kushina's father, spoke quietly. He didn't want to lose his daughter, nor was he willing to wager his son's life. "We can send plenty of other Uzumaki. Those perfectly willing to go."

Hideki pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed before he shook his head. "You know as well as I do, why we have to send either Shirou or Kushina."

"I-It's that political shit isn't it!?" Shizuka yelled, eyes watering. This wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair that Kushina had to suffer to maintain ties with Konoha. Political blood ties were an old tradition, and at this point, all Konoha really required was an Uzumaki's constitution. She clenched her mouth, lest she say something that'll cause her daughter any undo grief.

Hideki frowned as he nodded his head to Shizuka's accusation. To maintain strong ties with Konoha, the blood of the main family was required. It was why Mito Uzumaki had gone in the first place. Blood ties were hard to sever after all.

"Grandpa, _please_ ," _before I lose my resolve._ Kushina spoke, burying her face into Hideki's stomach lest she see her family's conflicted faces.

Hideki let out a breath and met his son's eyes, before he disappeared with Kushina in a drizzle of small water droplets.

The Uzumaki family house fell quiet, a mother's sobs echoing throughout the compound.

* * *

That event happened three years ago, and it still continued to haunt Toma Uzumaki's dreams. Even now he still fantasized about sneaking into Konoha and swooping his daughter away. He had not seen her in three years, granted he knew why. It was dangerous to make the journey from Konoha to Uzu, even more so now that tensions were growing high between Uzu and the other great shinobi villages. However, that didn't stop his wife from making the journey, wouldn't have stopped him either if his life weren't so important. Hideki was getting old, and slowly, more and more of the Uzukage's duties were being passed onto him.

As for the village, it had remained calm despite the trouble brewing outside its walls. As the son of the Uzukage, and as a father, he would make sure it remained that way. For his family, for his people, and for his duty, regardless of who stood in Uzushiogakure's way, he would pave a path for a better tomorrow. But first-

Boom!

He had to deal with _that_.

Shirou, his youngest was always bright and quick to learn. In fact, if Kushina weren't born first, there would be no way to realize that Shirou was the younger of the two. After he had first introduced seals to Shirou, he had taken to it like a fish to water, his eyes able to discern even the most intricate of seals. He was a seal genius like none other. Yet when he'd administer the chakra, something _always_ went wrong. More often than not, an explosion.

He blew away a lock of his displaced hair away from his right eye, and rubbed at his temples. He could feel a headache coming on.

The door to his study was kicked open as a masked woman burst in.

"Toma, do you know what your child has done this time!" The woman raged.

Of course, he did; he could see it all the way from his study, wisps of smoke trailing across the sky. "Yes yes, he blew up your garden. Now what is it that you really want _Anbu Commander_."

The woman relaxed, the anger seeming to have just suddenly disappeared. "Straight to the point as always, I see, captain."

"Those days are over now, Anbu Commander," Toma spoke referring to her rank rather than her name. She was wearing her mask, which meant that this discussion involved the shinobi corps. "Something I need to know?"

The Anbu Commander crossed her arms. "Your son is wasting his talent."

Toma raised a brow and leaned forward on his hands.

"You act as if you don't know captain. He's a civilian yet he's faster and stronger than the academy students over half his age." The Anbu Commander uncrossed her arms and stared out the window of the study towards the trailing smoke in the sky. "He's untrained in chakra, yes?"

Toma nodded. Due to Shirou's imbalance of physical and spiritual chakra, he and his wife had been putting off his training in the art until his physical chakra reached balance with his spiritual. His case was unusual, something the medical shinobi had never seen before in a newborn. Which was why they had only just begun training him at the start of the present year. And how else to train him than to start off on seals? Regardless of chakra control, output, or quality of chakra, even civilians were able to operate the seals in storage scrolls. It was a given that despite Shirou's chakra imbalance that he should have been able to complete any seal. Simply siphon chakra from the body into the seal, and done. _Explosion._

Toma sighed.

"He's begun training at the start of this year, but you already know the results," he spoke. He didn't know what he was doing wrong. Why did every single seal his son make explode without fail? Not even the foremost of the Uzumaki sealing elders had any idea. It was a curse. To be born with the talent to understand and reproduce even the most complicated of seals, yet unable to perform even the most basic.

The Anbu Commander gave pause at Toma's comment. "He's just started working with chakra, and the explosion is that big?"

Worse. Toma pulled out a simple storage seal. "He's still practicing with basic storage seals. Shizuka thinks he should move on to something more complicated…"

The Anbu Commander's eyes widened from beneath her mask. _If such an explosion was caused by a simple storage scroll, then what would that mean for – "_ He'll blow up half the village."

"Which is why I've convinced Shizuka otherwise, and restricted his practice to storage seals."

The possibilities of such a technique were filtering through the Anbu Commander's mind. If the boy were in any other village, he would be recruited into the shinobi corps regardless of his blood ties. Such a talent like that could not be ignored when any sort of seal can turn into a bomb. For example, most villages allowed foreign civilians and shinobi into their walls for meetings or exams after a thorough inspection of any weapons or dangers to the village. And what village would refuse the entry of storage scrolls and their seals? None. An infiltrator capable of setting up a chain of consecutive explosions under the prefix of a storage seal. A _shiver_ traveled down her back.

"Your son is wasting his talent," she repeated.

"My son wants to be a hero."

She couldn't help it. She laughed long and hard. There were no _heroes_ out in the shinobi world. Only those who live, and those who die.

"My son's dream is not something to laugh about."

"You can't honestly believe that, captain? I mean it's a joke beyond just impossible."

"And yet it's a beautiful dream for one so young. Isn't that right, Tsubasa."

The Anbu Commander didn't answer, turning her back on Toma. "You've heard my opinion as the Anbu Commander, please consider it for the sake of the village."

 _For the sake of the village, I gave away my daughter. And now for the sake of the village, I would condemn my only son?_

Toma closed his eyes, and banished his internal conflicts. "I'll see what I can do to convince him," he spoke.

"That is all that I can ask, captain." And then she was gone, a drizzle of tiny water droplets in her place.

Toma leaned into his chair, staring up at the ceiling of his home. What was he supposed to do? Shirou was smart for his age, far more than Kushina was, and he said that with no form of favoritism. It was a fact proven from both of their first written tests. While Kushina was given the regular test paper, unbeknownst to Shirou, he had received a senior level academy test and _passed_. It was incredible. A seven-year-old of all things passing a senior year academy test. Shirou was smart, of that he had no doubts. Therefore, there had to be a reason why he was declining to become a shinobi.

 _I want to be a hero._

Toma clasped his hands together. What is it about being a shinobi that would take away from that dream? A shinobi fought for their people. A shinobi fought for the betterment of their village. But a shinobi was tied down by the ruling Daimyo and the Uzukage.

 _A hero saves everyone._

A beautiful and admirable ideal.

To save the innocent, regardless of which village or region would _never_ work out for a shinobi. But his son was a civilian, and that's what mattered. He hummed in thought.

 _Your son is wasting his talent._

His inner shinobi was waging war with his emotions, and in the end, he found himself observing his son from the distant roof tops. Shirou stood with a frown on his face in the middle of the crater he had created in his explosion. His clothes and hair were in disarray, and his sandals completely gone. He stood there, pondering on his failure.

Watching Shirou think reminded Toma of himself in his younger years, and brought a smile to his face.

 _Yet Shirou wasn't a shinobi._

He watched as Shirou got out of the crater, muttering to himself about another failure. Yet what was he doing know?

Shirou had glanced around him before running off in the direction of the secluded plains by the great coast of Uzu.

Toma raised a brow and quickly followed with a body flicker, reminding himself to teach Shirou how to determine when he was being followed. Perhaps it was because of his chakra imbalance, but Shirou had trouble understanding what chakra actually _was_. It was another oddity in his son. While Kushina and the other children had no problems utilizing their chakra, Shirou always fiddled around with his to understand its mechanics. Regardless, his inability to relate to chakra would make it difficult for him to sense other chakra signatures nearby.

 _Then why did he glance in my direction?_ Toma observed Shirou sniff with his nose, and suddenly pause in contemplation. _W-Was his son a sensor?_

Toma suppressed his chakra, and body flickered to a different location. Shirou didn't even notice. He spiked his chakra again, and quickly, Shirou's gaze turned. _He really was._

 _Your son is wasting his talent._

He suppressed his chakra and performed a summoning jutsu.

"You called?" A little otter asked.

Toma brought a finger over his mouth and motioned towards where his son had begun walking in his direction. _Can you distract him?_ Was the conveyed question.

The otter nodded before waddling towards Shirou.

Chakra suppressed, Toma body flickered away just as his summon had reached Shirou. He watched intently as curiosity found its way onto Shirou's face as his ninja summon began to talk to him. Shirou's posture relaxed as his summon promptly left.

 _So, no chakra_. Toma decided. It would be the only way to follow Shirou without him noticing. After all, his own curiousty peaked at what his son was trying to do in secret. He continued to follow his son to what he believed was an isolated area and hid behind the large rocks washed up by the coast.

Shirou stopped by the ocean waves, and just stood there, eyes closed in concentration. A small crease formed over his forehead as he slowly raised an arm. "Trace on," he spoke.

Toma raised a brow from the phrase. Was his son trying to perform a jutsu with his unstable chakra, _and_ without supervision? The danger of such an act was not lost on him. If his chakra alone was enough to cause an explosion in a seal, then what would it mean now that he could see blue interface patterns travelling throughout his son's body. _Another explosion,_ and he would _not_ risk his son's life _._

He made to step out and reprimand Shirou's considerably dangerous behaviour, but suddenly faltered. He had been neutral when his child decided not to pursue the path of a shinobi, but now after seeing him create an object out of _nothing_ , he had no complaints. He truly loved his child, and the danger that kind of power could bring sent shivers down his spine.

He pressed his back against the large ocean rock, pinching the bridge of his nose.

The Uzumaki clan with their long-life spans and high vitality had been alive for centuries. The oldest Uzumaki having lived far over two-hundred. However, regardless of their lifespan, it was the sheer wealth of information located deep within the Uzumaki scrolls that mattered. Ancient documents dating back far before the time of the Warring Clans era. Clearance to such information was only allowed to those of the leading family and Uzukage. Therefore, he was granted access and was expected to retain the past knowledge. Of those ancient documents, there had only been _one_ capable of wielding such a power.

He began to fear for his child, he truly did. Which is why, despite his loyalty to his father, the Uzukage, and the village, Toma Uzumaki neglected to report his findings and instead supported his son's decision to stay out of shinobi life.

* * *

Thanks for reading, and thank you to Delca. It's appreciated

Next Update: Vasto of White

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious

I don't own fate or naruto

-Parcasious


	2. Stirrings: Part 1

Shirou Emiya, now Shirou Uzumaki was a magus, a term the people in his original world used to describe a practitioner of the supernatural arts of magecraft. This being the case, a magus had access to a plethora of skills, the elements, alchemy, and even more rare, mystic codes: items imbued with certain properties to allow for the further development of a Magus's mysteries, their spells. And his was one of the more unique ones.

He hummed in thought, hands clasped together as he laid staring up at the sky.

Twelve years.

It had taken him twelve years to familiarize himself with the workings of the world he was born into. Far from questioning the reason of his birth, he had realized in his past life that answers never come easy; one must stumble into them. Regardless, the hidden village system of his new world, dissatisfied him. Merchants, shinobi, and civilians, the three bases of each hidden village, and the shinobi system was the worst of them all.

Child soldiers and the old lie of pro patria mori.

 _It is an honour to die for one's village._

Even if that victory came at the expense of another? He would admit that it was impossible to save everyone, but that didn't mean that he should forsake them. Protect those who needed to be protected. Defeat those who needed to be defeated. And save those who must be saved.

The three bases of what made _him_ who he was. He couldn't save everybody, no matter how hard he tried, therefore he would save what was in front of him. It was selfish, a means to cope with the blood on his hands that Archer had spoke of, but that didn't mean his actions were any less noble in the eyes of those saved.

As a shinobi, he could never uphold what he stood and lived for. Assassination, seduction, and political tools, all were in the category of shinobi missions, and all were against the very ideals he stood for.

He didn't kill for money.

He didn't kill to place a potential tyrant in power.

And he most certainly wouldn't _seduce_ to end a conflict…

 _S-Shero, this was unexpected. W-What can I do for you? A stutter, but a suggestive wink from behind blond locks._

His brow twitched in sudden irritation, phantom shivers running down his spine. He'd think about past memories later.

The point of the matter however, was that he wasn't compatible with being a shinobi. He was far more suited for civilian life. There were no rules regarding civilians and shinobi. Civilians ran by their own laws and were not held accountable for, say; stumbling into a battle field without any clue on how one had gotten there? Nor were they fined any damage fees should one get into a conflict with a shinobi. After all, they were the weaker half of hidden village society, and could therefore easily be killed by a shinobi. As a civlian, he was not tied down by the Uzukage, shinobi system, _or_ have to deal with D-rank missions. However, by remaining as a civilian he loses his protection on the field.

If a shinobi fought and killed a shinobi of another hidden village, then that can be seen as an act of war as shinobi were held accountable by their ruling village leader. Therefore, a shinobi had the protection of their village to defend them from outside attacks, unless said shinobi had went rogue. Be that as it may, if a shinobi killed a civilian, it was different in that a bounty may be placed on their head. This prevents the escalation of war as many civilian's _do_ get caught up in the crossfire between two shinobi. He wasn't sure how it would work should a civilian defeat a shinobi, but he could be sure of a definite bounty. Now the question was if Uzu would still claim to defend him after said bounty had been placed, but that was a rhetorical question since he already knew the answer.

Civilian or not, his pedigree was beginning to annoy him.

He finally understood what it meant to be influential.

"Young master?"

The title caused him to sigh. He was the Uzukage's grandson, and the youngest child of Toma Uzumaki, the next Uzukage, and Shizuka Uzumaki, the first Red Hot Habanero after her initial trip to Konoha.

"Young master?" Tsuki spoke again, a brow creased in contemplation. "Are you perhaps upset about the storage seal? I-If you want, I can look into it later?"

Tsuki was the youngest shinobi to have graduated from the academy at twelve, but she was different from other shinobi. She had only one mission with no end date. Protect the young master. For whatever purpose, Toma had specifically requested the Uzukage to assign a guard to Shirou at all times outside of the village. It wasn't particularly out of place as Shirou was part of the main family, but considering that very same reason, he was protected enough.

The first time Tsuki had met Shirou had been in her first year at the academy. They had both started at the same time, and were both assigned to the same class. She could still imagine those earlier days where everyone tiptoed around Shirou, unsure of how to approach someone so important to the clan. However, it became easier after he had begun helping the students and teachers. Things such as carrying boxes, writing, and basic sealing and such.

 _The Academy Errand boy._

The title stuck with him wherever he went, but it never bothered him, and had only begun to bother her in the following years.

In the academy, students had two choices after a certain grade. It was either to pursue the life of a shinobi, or a civilian. She had fully expected Shirou to continue with her on the path to becoming Uzu's greatest shinobi, but-

She shook her head. Regardless of Shirou's choices, she knew who he truly was. A genius. Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, and Ninjutsu, he worked earnestly in them all, understood and comprehended them despite his chakra imbalance. It was that fact, and his unexpected choice to opt out of the shinobi program that had others questioning his abilities. The black sheep of the Uzumaki main family. The only one not a shinobi, and the only one unable to utilize even the most basic of seals. _The Errand Boy._ Yet she knew otherwise.

Shirou could not _utilize_ his seals for whatever reason, but he could _make_ them. Regardless of how complex or intricate a seal may be, he could recreate it from a single stare. Not even that, she had secretly taken one of the storage seals he had created and found that it worked through the administration of her chakra. This meant that it wasn't the seals that were the problem, it was Shirou's chakra for whatever reason.

Another fact she had easily concluded in her academy days was that he was holding back. She had no idea how he did it, but he could splinter concrete with a punch, and could throw kunai and shuriken like it was child's play. It was precisely because he was trying to hide his ability that she had even discovered it at all. After all, it's hard to dull one's own skill, and even harder to make it look natural. To her classmates, it may have worked, but for her and the teachers? Not a chance.

So why didn't he become a shinobi?

Shirou sat up and yawned before turning his attention towards Tsuki.

"No, it's alright. It wasn't really about the sealing anyway." _He'd just about figured out what was going wrong._ Shirou flared his chakra, watching as it swirled within his body.

He had been born with what the doctors called a chakra imbalance, but what he called improper mixing.

Shirou's chakra was formed of three elements: Physical Chakra, Spiritual Chakra, and in his case, what he called Refined Chakra. Spiritual and physical were the two components that created normal chakra, but refined chakra was the work of his magic circuits. Running through a pseudo-nervous system across his body, his magic circuits took in mana and whatever other energy was present in the air, and condensed it along with his chakra at twenty-seven points. The brain, the spinal cord, the abdomen, the stomach, the heart, and the rest scattered evenly throughout the body. As refined chakra leaned more towards the spiritual spectrum, it created an imbalance with his physical chakra. In which case, his already considerably high physical chakra had undergone another dramatic increase throughout the following years to accommodate both the spiritual and refined. Thus, his chakra and chakra system was different from a regular shinobi's.

He didn't expect however, that it would be so volatile when mixed into seals. He would have to find a way to separate his base chakra to utilize any form of fuinjutsu, but it seemed unlikely at the moment. Be that as it may…

He watched the mixed chakra flow through his body through structural analysis. The twenty-seven points, gates containing the physical expression of his twenty-seven magic circuits, the conduits of his magecraft, flaring to life. It was what allowed him to utilize his magic in his previous life by converting prana into a magus's usable od, no matter how meager an amount he had due to atrophication, or his none use of them. At this point, he couldn't use regular chakra to manifest his projections, but mixed chakra? That was a different story entirely.

A whole new power source.

A whole new variety of skills.

He stopped flaring his chakra. Regardless, it didn't change anything if he had a new source of power to rely on; all that mattered was his ability to use it to save others.

"I see," Tsuki spoke before bringing a hand to her mouth and clearing her throat. "Actually, I was asked by your father to bring you to him. He said he had something he needed to talk to you about."

Shirou raised a brow. What could his father need of him? Growing up, he had plenty of time to interact with his parents, even more so after Kushina was sent away. Yet his father, in the past few years, had become distant around him, staring when he believed that he wasn't looking. Was he still disappointed that he didn't become a shinobi? No, his father wasn't that petty, it was more akin to his mother's nature.

When Kushina had left for Konoha, Shizuka had made it clear to the Village Hidden in the Leaves that shinobi of the leaf or not, she _would_ come and visit her daughter. No amount of village security could keep her out which irritated Danzo Shimura who made his frustration known to the Hokage. Since then, Shizuka and the Leaf had developed a mutualistic relationship in regards to infiltration.

Kushina had no complaints. Danzo had _many_. And the Hokage? He was left to deal with all the damn paper work involved when Shizuka managed tear down or find a hole in the village barrier seal.

"Did he say where he wanted me to go?" Shirou asked. It was either the Uzukage's Tower, or the family house.

"Family house," Tsuki supplied.

Nodding, Shirou stood up and patted the dirt off his clothes. "Shall we go?" He said.

"Of course, young master," Tsuki said before she smirked. "Will you need me to slow down, _Errand Boy_?" She goaded, relaxing her posture as she enjoyed her time with the young master. She didn't understand his reasons for not being a shinobi, but she'd be damned if she didn't at least get him to practice from time to time.

"Will you need help keeping up?" Shirou replied as he focused his chakra on his feet.

"That depends," Tsuki walked up to stand next to Shirou, a gleam in her eyes. "I'm already ahead of you." And she was gone, nothing but the residue of falling water as she disappeared in a body flicker.

Shaking his head, Shirou promptly followed.

The wind whipped across Tsuki's face, sending her waist-length hair dangling in the breeze. The young master was right behind her. Although he couldn't use seals, he didn't have any problems utilizing any other types of ninjutsu. The body flicker for example. In fact, the young master's chakra was so dense in energy that it allowed him to flicker almost double her distance, but she simply flickered more frequently. This was it. This was how it should have been had the young master decided to become a shinobi. He was too talented and too skilled to have _not_ become a shinobi. She had graduated at the top of her class, and still she could only count a handful of people who could keep up with her, but Shirou kept up as if it was nothing. She nodded her head. The young master was truly talented.

She stopped to catch her breath, and Shirou was behind her in an instant.

"Tired?" Shirou asked, handing her a storage scroll. "Mom stored some water in there, but, you know," he scratched his had awkwardly. " _Boom_ and all."

"Thanks." Tsuki took the scroll from Shirou and unsealed the water inside. Taking a drink, she held it out for Shirou before realizing what she was doing, and promptly chugged the rest.

"A-Are you alright?" Shirou asked unsure, patting Tsuki's back as she nearly choked.

"P-Perfect, just perfect!" Tsuki responded before staring off at the main family's house. "Say, do you want to just walk the rest of the way from here?" She asked.

"Sure."

The two walked on the street, vendors and passing civilians waving out their greetings and offering food samples.

Yet others walking along the same street whispered amongst themselves, a cloud of trepidation forming over their heads.

Despite how the adults believed they were being discreet in their actions, Shirou wasn't a child and would not so readily believe that all the tension in the air was due to another coming tsunami; the seal barriers around Uzu were built too sturdy for that. Therefore, it was evident through his eyes that trouble was brewing outside the village walls.

The adults continued to whisper amongst themselves as he and Tsuki passed by, going silent as he came within ear shot. Yet his hearing was better than most.

 _War, war, and war,_ he could hear it from their lips.

He stared at Tsuki and grimaced. She was blissfully ignorant of what was truly happening and what it would mean for her should Uzu go to war. Men, women, and children alike in the shinobi system were meant to fight and die for the village. After all, a shinobi was an adult.

He closed his eyes and pictured Tsuki and the children he often visited in the orphanage dead. His chakra began to surge in his body, his magic circuits thrumming and absorbing even more energy from the air.

He opened his eyes, an unnoticeable blue tint flickering like flames beneath his pupils, and stared at Tsuki's back. She noticed his gaze, and smiled back at him, her eyebrows raised in playful arches. He paid her no mind, lost in his own thoughts. She didn't like that.

"You're thinking too hard, young master," Tsuki spoke as she laughed at his baffled look after she had poked him in the forehead. She then turned around and promptly skipped a couple steps ahead; the bunching of her cheeks letting him know that she was still smiling in her childish youth.

 _And he wouldn't allow it to be taken away. Hers or anyone else's._

He turned his gaze away from Tsuki and stared towards the village walls, a gust of wind setting his clothes a flutter. His lips thinned as his eyes narrowed, a group of shinobi running past.

They had been tense, shoulders squared, and muttering beneath their breaths. Telltale signs of urgency. The direction? Most were headed towards Uzu's border, others directly to the Uzukage's Tower.

He reinforced his eyes, and stared across at the distant border wall.

Smoke loomed in the horizon.

 _All civilians are expected to evacuate to the shelters beneath clan grounds in the case of an emergency._

Clan protocols filtered through his mind.

As he was technically a civilian, he was included in those protocols.

And yet, shinobi or not, if danger were to arrive, he would still fight as a civilian of the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools.


	3. Stirrings: Part 2: Perceptions

A man in a simple blue yukata sat alone on his knees in front of a low center-table. Back straight, he had shoulder length red hair that was swept neatly to the side to avoid covering his face. Brown-eyed with a pale complexion, and high, but barely visible cheekbones, the man yawned. Scratching his scraggily stubbly beard, the man stretched before reaching a hand out to the table before him.

Toma Uzumaki brought a cup of tea to his lips, before gently placing it back down on the platter provided for him by his wife.

She was currently out in the shopping districts as both Kushina's and Shirou's birthdays were in a couple weeks. It would be a joyous occasion as for once, both he and Shizuka were able to cow Hideki into allowing them to be with Kushina, granted the Hokage had unexpectedly placed a word in for them. He was not fooled however. For the Hokage to place a word in for them, it had only fueled the growing parental suspicion within him. Was Kushina being treated in a way befitting of her status as a daughter of the main Uzumaki family?

Suspicions aside for the moment, he grew silent as he watched two grey-feathered birds, a parent and its child, walking atop his veranda. From the looks of it, the child had grown up and was learning how to fly.

 _They grow up too fast._ He thought idly as the sliding door of the room opened.

Shirou and Tsuki stepped into the tatami matted floor, and promptly sat on their knees before him on two cushions.

He once again sipped at his tea, taking a moment to silently assess his son and Tsuki.

She was the spitting image of his dear friend's wife, rounded face, pale complexion, and deep amber coloured eyes. If it weren't for her bangs growing over her left eye, he might as well have been staring at a ghost, a reminder of what was lost in his shinobi days.

He had lost both a friend and colleague on that mission gone wrong, but he was glad to see that their legacy still lived on.

"Tsuki," he addressed first. "Good work."

"T-Thank you," Tsuki replied earnestly. "Is there anything else that you would ask of me?"

"Very well, then for the moment may I ask you to go to the kitchens and help the missus?" Toma asked. "She's not here yet, but it shouldn't take her that much longer to arrive."

"Understood." Tsuki stood up and did a quick bow before leaving and closing the sliding door behind her.

There was a silence as he pushed a cup of tea towards his son. "It's herbal," he spoke after a moment. "Both Kushina and Shizuka hate it, but at least I know you can appreciate it."

Shirou smiled. "Those two never change do they," he stated. Enjoying herbal tea was an acquired taste, and he had grown fond of it in his life with Kiritsugu. Bringing the cup away from his lips, he mimicked Toma as they both gently placed the cup down on a platter with a light clacking noise.

"And that's why it's our job as the men of the house to make sure they never do," Toma spoke in all seriousness.

Shirou nodded as he agreed with the sentiment. War and violence change people, distorting their morals and values. "Why did you call me here today, father?"

Toma sighed, the motion easing the tenseness in his shoulders. "To be frank," he looked into Shirou's eyes and affirmed once again what he had already known. " _War_ may be coming to Uzu's walls."

He watched as his son's body grew rigid. Good, it showed his ability to understand. In that way, he was not wrong in his decision to alert Shirou of a potential danger; he had a good head on his shoulders. If Shirou wasn't _yet_ going to a be a shinobi, he might as well educate him in clan politics in the mean time; an art he believed far too above Kushina's understanding. In that regard, she was like her mother: Hot tempered and quick to judge.

"And," Shirou moistened his suddenly dry lips. "There's no way to prevent this?" He asked.

"I'm afraid it's out of our hands," Toma spoke, crossing his arms and pausing in thought. "You've already read up on recent history, correct?"

Shirou nodded. It had been one of his major priorities after learning to read; to know the world around him.

"As expected from my son," Toma spoke with pride before growing serious once more. "Tensions are rising again between the great hidden villages because of a decline in national power after the Second War. Skirmishes have begun against smaller countries near the borders of the great villages, however," Toma locked eyes with Shirou. "Open war is not something any great hidden village wants at the moment."

The trickling of water echoed across the room as the koi fish out in the ponds of the manor began a dance of swirls, tiny eddies forming atop the water's surface.

"No great village has yet to recover from the large-scale territory skirmishes of the second war, and the casualties it wrought," Toma continued.

"Except for us," Shirou spoke, eyes widening in realization. "Our village did not actively take part in the war as we didn't wish for more land. The most we involved ourselves in, was in the defense of Konoha's borders, and the fortification of their seals."

"Correct," Toma raised his cup of tea to his mouth, but reconsidered as he realized it had gotten cold. He placed the cup back down with a clack. "War potential is at an absolute minimum. I wouldn't be surprised if _children_ were sent to the battlefield."

A cold chill ran down Toma's back as he stared at the absolute blankness that had befallen his son's expression, but he didn't let it show. Instead he pushed aside his cup, and poured himself and Shirou another cup of hot tea to soothe their nerves.

"You should be able to understand Shirou. We are Konoha's allies; blood ties have ensured it throughout the generations, and ours is no exception. Now take this as you will," Toma produced a map of the continent, the Elemental Nation, and spread it across the low table between them. "The lands of Lightning and Water are our nearest neighbors. Of the two, Lightning has the most to lose in a demographical two-way war against Konoha and Uzu. They _will_ target us first should a war break. We are the closest, and best prepared, suffering the least number of casualties in the previous war. On top of that, Uzu has no deterrents."

"Deterrents?" Shirou asked.

"It's a known speculation, but all great villages are in possession of a tailed beast, chakra monster of the highest calibre. You should have read our historical accounts on them: Abilities to wipe out mountains, size to crush all enemies, and an intellect that had allowed them to wander since the end of the Sage."

"The Sage?"

Toma gazed blankly at Shirou, lips thinning. "A story for another time," he said after a moment of careful deliberation. He was a father, and he would in no way endanger his son unless necessary. "The point is, speculation or not, the other great villages will not attack recklessly against another. Us however, we have no such luxury, and as an ally of Konoha, we are a valuable target."

Shirou frowned, and propped an elbow against the table to lean his head on his hand. "There's a point in you telling me this," he pondered aloud.

Toma nodded his head, listening intently into what his son had perceived in their short exchange.

"A test?" Shirou asked hesitantly. "To see if I would act brashly, or keep a level head?"

"And you passed," Toma spoke softly as he gave up sitting on his knees and instead sat cross legged. "I was correct I suppose, that you were abnormally smart for your age." Toma clenched his hands, and apprehensively drew out a handful of documents from within his yukata.

"A traveller's pass?" Shirou asked perplexed as Toma handed over the documents to him.

 _This was for the best,_ Toma reminded himself. "First and foremost, I am a father, and I am proud of you. As a father, your dreams, are my dream, and your goals are mine as well." _He wants to be a hero,_ Toma reminded himself. The longer his son stayed in Uzu, the more tempting it would be to persuade him to join the shinobi ranks, but he digressed. The traveller's pass had nothing to do with that issue. "The Traveller's pass will allow you access into the other Hidden Villages as a simple civilian, granted you will _not_ be travelling alone."

"B-But why?" Shirou asked. He was appreciative of the traveller's pass as it would prevent him from being tied down to a single village, but he knew his father was protective of his family. So, why would his father allow him away from the village to pursue his dreams so young?

Toma fell silent, speaking up once again after clearing his throat. "When war eventually breaks out, I'm afraid it's almost guaranteed that chaos will befall this village. Inside this village, you are known as the Clan Heir after me. Outside the village, nothing is truly known about you due to our village's secrecy held secure by our village seals." _And if you were in this village should it get destroyed…_ Toma shook his head to move away from such a possibility.

Shirou understood. If no one recognized him as a high-profile target, then he would be left alone as a simple civilian unless he actively sought conflict, but wasn't he going to be assigned a travelling partner? Comprehension dawned on him. He was getting moved away from any sort of war front, taking refuge in some village away from any conflict. Although he could understand that perhaps it was a plan to preserve the Uzumaki name and bloodline should the village fall, yet he simply could not agree with it.

Frowning, he was about to return the traveller's pass to his father, but the creaking of a door halted his actions.

A woman walked in, shinobi gear in disarray, and hair left wildly running past her shoulders.

"Toma-sama," the woman's expression was extremely distraught, her body shaking in agitation. "On orders of your father, help evacuate the civilians and head to the Eastern gate," she spoke as she choked for breath. She swallowed and looked Toma straight in the eyes. " _A-An attack. T-The enemy came from out of nowhere_."

* * *

They had appeared in droves, just off the large rivers south of Uzu's great deltas that supplied the village's fresh water supply.

Different from the land of Fire's abundance of trees, Whirlpool had relatively few except for the large conifers who's roots deeply anchored them to the ground. Typically, this difference in geography allowed villages like Uzu, which was situated on the highest hill where a large river ambled around its base, to identify attackers before an attack. They had the high ground, the elevation necessary to monitor large distances, _and_ no obstacles to block their line of vision, but again this blunder was the fault of the season: Spring.

The season of growth. Much of the country of Whirlpool's lands consisted of rolling hills and flat plains near river banks, and like the other villages, Uzu didn't go out of its way to maintain the surroundings of its environment outside of its walls. As such, vegetation grew rampant before the spring herds of grazing sheep and herbivorous animals came to cull the excess amounts.

In this particular case,

The tall grass had been to the enemy's advantage, hiding the majority of their forms from a great distance; the rolling hills of whirlpool country masking the rest of their amassed forces. So, when the gates were opened, and a unit of Uzu-shinobi were tasked with dealing with what looked like a group of twenty shinobi from atop the Eastern gate, they were utterly unprepared for the hundreds of shinobi that flanked them from behind the hills.

"Hurry!" Hideki issued orders atop the Eastern Gate.

Numerous men and women worked furiously on the stacks of papers in their hands, others running frantically to relay messages across the village.

The Uzumaki were not known for their prowess on the battlefield, or for possessing dangerous bloodlines, or forbidden jutsu, but they _were_ known for their sealing techniques.

Sealing techniques (Fuinjutsu), an art of storing chakra, objects, and virtually anything within a single seal, and releasing it with different properties for multiple uses. Explosive tags for example were utilized by sealing rampant influxes of chakra and combining and igniting it with fire element to catalyze a large explosion.

However, sealing took practice, and a considerable amount of time to learn. It was an art, a profession requiring extensive dedication. In Uzu, a true seal master may not be able to best a simple Chunin, the second rank of the Shinobi system, in a fight, but the degree of effect their seals had on a battlefield may very well decide the outcome.

Yet true seal masters were the product of an old age. Most youngsters in the current era devoted more time to fancy jutsu and martial prowess; in awe of legendary Shinobi like Hashirama Senju, Salamander Hanzo, and Madara Uchiha who each etched their names into the history books.

As such, Hideki was one of the few _true_ seal master left in Uzu. For even though all Uzumaki knew how to use seals, many stopped pursuing the art after attaining a level in which people outside Uzu's walls deemed masterful.

Which was why problems would arise with the youngsters.

Hideki stared critically at the many older Uzumaki who were frantically writing seal after seal and distributing them to the active Shinobi forces, the younger men and women. If they had all been true masters, they wouldn't have been waiting to be given supply seals because there wasn't enough time for them to make their own. How frustrating.

"How long until the rest of the blank scrolls arrive?" Hideki asked as he himself sat down and picked up a small brush and a sheet of paper. The blank scrolls were larger sheets of paper that allowed for more elaborate seals to be manufactured as details were easier to construct. Ordinary seals that required smaller complex glyphs were enlarged to accommodate for the sheer intricacy involved in each stroke of the hand.

Working away at the seal before him on the single blank scroll in his possession, Hideki waited for an answer.

He clicked his tongue when he received none from the ANBU beside him. Holding the handle of the brush with his mouth, he closed his eyes and slapped his palms against the completed seal beneath his hands. " ** _Great Seal: Five Pentagon Defensive Barrier_**."

The seal that defends all of Uzu. A five-pentagon walled formation with each layer larger than the other. Stone statues of old Uzu Seal Masters in simple white and red hakamas were positioned in the corner of each junction between walls, a different spiraled seal flaring red engraved into their chests.

The founders of Uzushiogakure, the five Braves of Whirlpool who withstood the violence and calamities of the Warring Clans Era, the Era before Hidden Villages. Elder Hokosai the Peaceful, Mikoshi the Wise, Takehara the Vagrant, Sakuya the Benevolent, and Kanagi of the People, all who died for the sake of peace and the security of their family.

It was the legacy of Sakuya the Benevolent sealed away within the Great Seal that created Uzu's greatest defensive barrier. Like a rising mist, thin waves, pulses of chakra spread out from the founder statues chests and enveloped Uzu in a dome of protection.

Hideki was breathing heavily, his veins bulging, and his chakra exuding brightly from around his body. "Tsubasa," he called, sweat creasing his forehead and causing his greying hair to stick uncomfortably. He blinked an eye open as Tsubasa drew near, but focused more on stabilizing the barrier. Tsubasa would know what it was he had wanted.

"Understood, Lord Uzukage." Tsubasa grabbed a seal hidden within her sleeve, imbued it with chakra, and then threw it in the air. "People of Uzu!" She yelled, her voice transmitting through the seal. "By the order of Lord Second, evacuate to the Shelters!"

Moments later, after one powerful shout, Hideki stabilized the barrier, and stood up on his feet. "It's done," he spoke before turning to his guest.

A man with spikey silver-hair in a pony-tail that reached behind his back stood with his arms crossed. His expression was tense, his normally kind face with dark eyes that had deep lines running beneath them were narrowed. Wearing the Konoha shinobi green flak jacket and combat pants, he walked towards Hideki. After all, he had been sent to Uzu by Konoha on a delegation mission to inform Uzu of the growing speculations of mobilization between Hidden Villages. As Konoha's ally, he had been sent to warn Uzu of the impeding escalation of war, but it appears as if he was too late.

"I'm sorry for the situation, Sakumo," Hideki spoke earnestly. "Had it not been for my grandson's actions of blowing up the gardens earlier, you may not have been here in this crisis."

Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of the Second War, and arguably one of the strongest shinobi Konoha had ever produced since its founding.

"It's of no concern," Sakumo spoke grimly, staring out at the enemy shinobi past the Eastern gate. "It's remarkable that your explosive tags could even do such damage." He had first assumed that it was an attack in the middle of the village and had delayed his departure to assist in the capture of an infiltrator.

 _If only you knew._ Hideki shook his head to clear it of such thoughts. "The Great Barrier will hold through the legacy of Lady Sakuya," he spoke with confidence. "Of the Elders, she was the one who's sealing specialized in defence of the clan."

"It's sturdy," Sakumo remarked. It was far more elaborate than the defensive systems Konoha had set up around its own walls. Perhaps he could inquire for a copy to be made for his village? "I'm more concerned however, on the enemy shinobi's lack of identification. Rogues?"

Hideki huffed. "No, definitely not. They're trained, and it shows in their movements and coordination. Now the question is, which village?" He spoke. "No Hidden Village wants to be the start of this Third War, nor risk it beginning this _early_."

"Regardless," Sakumo turned to face Hideki and bowed his head. "Uzukage, on behalf of my village, you may use me as you see fit. I doubt Lord Hokage would have me act otherwise."

 _Sakumo Hatake._

The Leaf has raised a fine shinobi; Hideki nodded his head in gratitude. "For now, the enemy's movements have been stopped by the barrier. We shall wait and see what they do. For we are the one's with both supplies and the high-ground. Not to mention, Konoha should soon have word of this predicament."

Sakumo nodded before he walked beside Tsubasa who was clenching her fists and staring out past the gates. She glanced at him, then glanced back, her body still tense. "They're killing them," she spoke softly, her eyes locked onto her clan members who had first ventured out past the gates.

Some were still alive, and in a show of negotiation, were lined up before the gates of Uzu.

Even if they didn't speak, their purpose was clear. _Open the gate, or we kill all your clansmen._

She had friends down there, people and colleagues she frequently worked with. They had _families_ within Uzu's walls, and she couldn't do a _goddamned_ _thing_.

She was the ANBU commander tasked with the protection of the village. A couple lives were not enough to warrant the deaths of several hundreds.

"Bear with it." Hideki's voice concealed his bitterness as he watched how one by one his clansmen were killed before him. " _Etch_ this seen into your heart, the bravery of your clansmen, and their devotion to their families. And remember, the Uzumaki _never_ forget."

Sakumo felt severely out of his depth when his battle field experience alerted him of Tsubasa's concealed sobs. It was the way her body would minutely shudder after each death that gave it away. Even now, although her body stood straight and her hands were held firmly by her side, his nose was able to smell the salinity in the air; his eyes able to see a single tear drop from beneath Tsubasa's masked face.

He was out of his depth, so instead, he chose to retreat into more familiar grounds. "Something's happening," he spoke suddenly, peering with his eyes down into the crowd of gathered enemy shinobi.

After killing all the Uzumaki in their possession, the enemy shinobi had left frustrated, muttering to themselves, and not realizing that Sakumo could hear them through the effects of his genetics: The Hatake Clan, the clan of Dog's blood, granting them heightened senses.

 _A waste,_ they had said. A waste of resources perhaps?

"They're planning something," he spoke as the group of enemy shinobi pushed out a bound individual in steel chakra suppressant chains.

The enemy shinobi quickly deactivated the suppressants, but left the constraints on, and suddenly, the air was filled with malefic chakra.

Shivers ran down Sakumo's spine. What the hell was going on?

Off to the side, Hideki had remained awfully silent, the colour draining from his face as he recognized the nature of the enemy's attack.

 _Tailed-Beast ball._

* * *

The Village was shaking, a layer of dust falling over a large group of hunched citizens in the underground shelters. Dim rays of light filtered through the room by creeping into small openings designed to let air into the sealed chamber.

After the woman had informed Toma of the situation, Shirou had immediately been body flickered by Toma into the clan shelter. Moments later, Toma had appeared again with Tsuki, and then more and more people, as the shelter did not allow normal entry. There were no doors, exits, or entrances. It was just a simple room carved into the earth with hard sediment packed into the walls for further fortification. Mainly however, it was the seals that surrounded everything within the room that acted as the main protection by storing away exterior forces and dispersing them through the chamber.

"Shirou, this is a _bad_ idea!" Tsuki yelled, getting right up to Shirou's face. "You _can't_ go out there."

"But I won't stay here either," Shirou argued.

Tsuki bit down on her lips. "It doesn't matter," she spoke. "Even if you want to go out there, this chamber is sealed inside and out."

"Not completely," Shirou reasoned. For what would happen should all the Uzumaki capable of opening the seal to the chamber were killed? The citizens would be trapped in their own shelters. "Father once mentioned there was an override somewhere, but even then, I have another way out of here."

"Listen to yourself!" Tsuki yelled. "The Village is _shaking_ ; do you know what kind of an attack can do that? A _big_ one!"

Tsuki scratched her head in frustration. How could Shirou not understand? "Look," she forced out, trying to calm herself to get her point across. "What can you possibly do out there when even I, the academy's number one, was transported in the shelters with the rest of our graduating class?"

The other people nodded in the room. Some were the classmates both Shirou and her had had in their classes.

"She's right, Shirou. Coming from someone previously called the Academy Errand boy, your words don't hold much weight," a classmate spoke.

"Instead of training, you helped teach our struggling classmates."

"Instead of practicing seals, you moved away from us all to prevent us from getting injured."

"Instead of looking down on us, you let us take advantage of you instead…" The boy who spoke had his head bowed low in shame.

"Shirou, what they're trying to say is that regardless of what you do, you yourself wont be enough to make a difference." Tsuki said what had to be said.

Grimacing, Shirou silently pondered to himself about his course of action. Of what he should keep secret, and what he shouldn't. Yet, wasn't this the most appropriate of times? Lives were at stake.

"Evidently," Shirou began as he grasped out with his hand and gripped the air where he willed his weapon to materialize. "I've not yet shown you all what I'm capable of."

In a flash of radiant chakra, a weapon appeared in Shirou's hand.

 _Gáe Dearg: The Crimson Rose of Exorcism._

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne's red two-meter long spear that severs all connections with magical energy. As the first warrior of the Knights of Fianna, he had used it in the name of his lord to slay numerous enemies of his legend.

Shirou tapped the spear's end lightly against a wall, and the chakra feeding the seals were temporarily halted by the spear's effect, causing a small hole to form in the structure of the chamber as the seals seamlessly worked around it.

Shirou's classmates fell silent, unable to respond and simply stood in his path. For despite all their criticism, they adored him just as much. The main family's son who treated them without arrogance, and a willingness to help regardless of the circumstance.

Even if he was the Academy Errand Boy, in their hearts, and through Village tradition, he was still the _Young Lord._

Seeing their determination, Shirou met it with respect and his own.

He didn't want anyone to die.

He cared for them after twelve years of their kindness.

Twelve years of their devotion to him, who through their eyes was the only Uzumaki unable to use the clan's renowned sealing arts.

Heroes fought in pursuit of the most ideal outcome; one can't save everyone.

 _But,_

Shirou pushed past those who would block his path, and paused before meeting Tsuki's apprehensive gaze. Swallowing before apologizing in a hushed whisper, he placed his hand on her shoulder, and walked past.

In the utter silence of the exchange, Shirou clenched his fists, and steeled his resolve as he walked forth. He would save as many as he could; _everyone_ if he had the chance. It was his ideal, his own gut feeling, something incomprehensible to the most methodical and practical of individuals, it was simply a _single_ desire.

It was short-sighted.

An absurd endeavour that could only be suicidal.

A fool's ludicrous errand with no true means of success.

But,

 _Heroes are people too_.

* * *

 **Thanks for Reading, and Thank You! To my newest Patron: Peter Yeager**

 **P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**

 **Next Update: A Tale of Two Swords**


	4. Stirrings: Part 3: The Beginning

Tailed beasts, chakra monsters whose powers were differentiated by the number of tails that they possessed. The One Tail, Two Tail, Three Tail, all the way up to the Ninth, and all were capable of producing an attack like none other.

 _Tailed-Beast Ball._

A copious observable amount of chakra condensed into a devastating projectile sphere. It explodes on contact, releasing the stored energy within.

It was unimaginably powerful, able to destroy whole villages in one or two blasts. Yet once again, only tailed beast could possibly release such an attack. So how had a human been able to fire it? The answer could only be one: A Jinchūriki, the vessels that contained the mighty tailed beasts.

That answer was readily apparent to Hideki Uzuamki.

He slowly pushed himself off the ground. His head hurt, his vision still shaking from the after shock of the explosion. Smoke was rising into the clouds, heavy stones falling from broken walls that upturned dust as they impacted against the ground.

The walls of Uzu had been breached, the western gate torn through by the subsequent blasts. The statue of Lady Sakuya glowed weakly, before it too crumbled to the ground in the sudden silence of the dust filled battlefield.

 _Lady Sakuya._ Hideki clenched his fists at the loss of Lady Sakuya's greatest contribution to Uzu.

Still, he had other matters to concern himself with. What of the Jinchūriki?

He swallowed as he watched the enemy side reactivate the suppressants binding the bound Jinchūriki before dragging him away from the battlefield. He could agree with the decision as Jinchūriki were too valuable to lose regardless of the outcome of the battle. It followed the simple doctrine of securing one's own weapons, but the manor in which it was done greatly irritated him. After all, his grand-daughter was the new Jinchūriki of the Nine-tails.

"Defend!" He called out, watching as the enemy began to stir. "Tsubasa, gather your ANBU and set up a barricade. We can not allow them entry towards our civilians and families! And Sakumo-" his eyes swept to the weary eyed shinobi, Konoha's White Fang, "-aid them."

Sakumo nodded as he checked his gear before body flickering away with Tsubasa and a group of ANBU.

Left alone, Hideki closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. The barricade should be enough to halt the enemy's charge, but it was in no way comparable to Lady Sakuya's great barrier seal. One tailed-beast-ball was all it would take to completely eradicate it.

 _He couldn't let that happen._

He clasped his hands together, and his finger tips lit up in a pale blue light. The sealing arts required a medium to be utilized to channel chakra through, like how wires were needed to direct electricity for specific functions. However, the effect varied on the consistency of the medium and its tendency to change based on the environment, meaning two outcomes: One long lasting, and the other fleeting.

Paper was permanent.

 _Air_ was temporary.

Material was important. It was why most Uzumaki carried blank paper scrolls. But for seal masters like himself, everything in the world around him was viable.

Then enemy side continued to charge, even as he body flickered to appear at the front of the breach.

 _Do not underestimate me._

His hands began to move, the chakra maintaining form in the air as he used it to draw circles and symbols. Sealing was the art of storing, and storing presented a means to revolutionize the way the workings of the shinobi world. On this day, he would show once again just why it is Uzu has remained strong throughout the calamities of the world wars.

 _For my duty._

He felt a large dip in his chakra reserves, but he knew it was the outcome of maintaining such a complex chakra seal array out of the air, a medium composed of multiple unseen kinetic components. He coughed out blood, his old age and tiring body beginning to effect him.

Yet it was time.

 _For those who have bled in my name._

The chakra on his finger tips dimmed before dying out completely, a seal as large as he was tall standing before him.

Now more than ever, the approaching army took notice of him, but it was too late.

 _I will never buckle under the weight of their trust. I am the Uzukage!_

" ** _Seal: Migration of heavenly birds!_** _"_

Two eagles flew to the sky on large pinioned wings. The art of storing and releasing. Intent and chakra was stored within both birds, the release of their energy upon completion of their task.

The two-soared high before dropping down, their bodies enlarging with the altitude of their descent to the ground.

Feathers ruffling in the wind, a caw resounded throughout the battlefield as the chakra birds phased through the attacks sent towards them by the enemy. _Nothing_ could stop this attack. They were like the air itself, maneuvering past all obstacles until one swallowed up the bound Jinchūriki, and flew far away until the chakra that maintained its form disappeared. The other eagle did much the same, but instead kidnapped the enemy commander on the other side, sealing him within its beak and flying off.

The charge of the enemy halted, fully comprehending what had just happened. It was obvious. Before the battle had even begun, Hideki had already rendered both the enemies trump card and commander out of commission.

Breathing heavily, Hideki cursed as he fell to the ground in a state of chakra exhaustion, the activation of the great barrier and the migration of heavenly birds taking its toll on his body.

* * *

Sakumo watched as Tsubasa and the ANBU took out blank scrolls from their shinobi packs and furiously began to inscribe seals within them.

A barricade?

He didn't quite know just how effective it would be, but if it required this many Uzuamki just to create the seal, he had no doubts it would be effective.

He turned his back on the Uzumaki to watch the approaching enemy. He had been tasked by Hideki to protect Tsubasa and the ANBU until they were able to complete the barricade, and that was what he was going to do.

Still, his eyes widened as the enemy began to pour in past Uzu's eastern gate. What had happened to Hideki?

"They're coming!" He called.

Tsubasa's eyes widened. "Shit," she swore as she glanced down at her unfinished seals. She pursed her lips before finally coming to a decision through eye contact with Sakumo. "We have to hold them off long enough for the others to finish off these seals."

"It won't be easy," Sakumo spoke. His eyes calculated the number of enemies, and quickly came to a simple conclusion. "There's a high possibility that we'll die."

Tsubasa nodded grimly. "I know it is improper of me to depend on the aid of a foreign shinobi diplomat, and even worse for Uzu should you die, but," Tsubasa clenched her fists, recalling the deaths of her clansmen. "Will you lend us your aid, Sakumo Hatake?"

She stood up before taking off her ANBU mask, revealing a slender and narrow pale face with stunning deep violet eyes. "I ask this not as the ANBU commader," her hair dropped down past her back, the tie holding up her pony tail having snapped off long ago. Her thin lips trembled as she made her request. "But as Tsubasa Uzumaki, a proud woman of the Village hidden in the Whirlpools."

 _Such fire._ For a moment, Sakumo was stunned speechless. This woman, had put aside her pride, and dignity to even lower herself to request the aid of a foreign shinobi. There was no doubt that he would follow the order of the Uzukage, but to risk his life for it? The circumstances were quite heavy. Yet still this woman had asked for the sake of her village, something he could truly relate too.

He didn't know what Konoha would do if he died on this day. Who would they blame in the case of such a blatant attack on Uzu, Konoha's ally? The answer was obvious. They could blame no one but the other great villages. Who else would have the power, and the motivation to completely wipe out one of Konoha's longest allies. Cloud and Water would be the first to fall under suspicion, but he was sure some in Konoha's council would push the blame onto Rock as well due to their animosity towards each other. He grimaced, this entire incident just may be the start of the entire Third War as Konoha would never let this provocation slide. Not even Hiruzen would forgive such an offense. When Konoha needed aid, Uzu was there. Therefore, if Uzu were destroyed it would only be in retribution that Konoha _must_ act on Uzu's behalf.

The answer was clear to him.

He drew his White Light Chakra Sabre and holding it across his chest, nodded his head in agreement. "I have heard your conviction and will respond to it with my acceptance. Sakumo Hatake, Konoha's White Fang is at your service."

Once again, he was stunned speechless as he was enraptured in the smile that bloomed across Tsubasa's face. It was beautiful in that it was truly heart felt.

"Thank you," she spoke earnestly, her head bowed low in respect. "Y-You don't know how much this means to me. I'll never forget this debt."

"Then that simply means we must live through this." Sakumo coughed into his hands to stop himself from staring at Tsubasa and focus on the mission at hand. "If we are to hold them off, we can't allow ourselves to be separated. I'll watch your back-"

"-And I'll watch yours," Tsubasa spoke with determination.

Sakumo nodded. It wasn't going to be easy, but if he only had to pay attention to the enemies in front of him, perhaps it could be done with his level of skill. As for Tsubasa, she was the ANBU commander of Uzu, he had no doubts of her adequacy.

"Do you see their left flank?" He asked.

Tsubasa nodded.

"It's composed of their stronger shinobi."

Tsubasa raised a brow. "How can you tell without any discerning features? They have no flak jackets, nor gear to distinguish them from."

"When your Uzukage released those birds," Sakumo began as both he and Tsubasa began to move in-route to the enemy. "The left flank was the side that released the strongest Jutsu while the center and right flank relied on explosive seals. This speaks of their experience levels."

Not only that, but it had also allowed Sakumo to see who had been in charge of the army, the ring leaders in this whole mess. They organized themselves into distinct squads each led by an experience troop officer, probably Jounin level. To disrupt the enemy, they would to strike at those leaders quickly and efficiently.

"I see," Tsubasa contemplated what she was told. "Then you wish to cripple the enemy side by removing their strongest assets from play? Wait," her eyes widened. "Not only that, but you'd decrease the morale of the enemy troop."

Rather than answering Tsubasa's observations, he only had one question to ask her. "Can you handle it?"

Tsubasa remained silent for a moment, before undoing her forearm protectors and tossing them away. The mass sealing array on both of her arms activated, releasing a rampant amount of chakra sealed within. "I **c** an **ha** nd **le it** ," she spoke with certainty her canine's extending, and voice deepening as her body began to absorb the chakra emanating from her arms.

"What is that?" Sakumo couldn't help asking.

Tsubasa didn't answer for a moment before speaking out softly. " **I was born with an excessive amount of unique chakra that was more akin to the chakra possessed by summons in their home world**."

It was then that Sakumo smelled it, the scent of an _Alpha_. "Dog summons?"

" **Wolf** ," Tsubasa spoke curtly, recalling some unpleasant memories. " **I don't want to talk much about it.** " Her finger nails were extending into sharp claws, her muscles tensing beneath her skin. " **Truth be told, I'd rather not resort to this, makes me feel less human.** " _And more like a monster._

Sakumo would have asked more, had it not been for the approaching enemies before him.

He drew his chakra saber and watched as the enemy visibly recoiled in his presence. He supposed his reputation proceeded him.

Tsubasa unsealed a long spear from her storage scroll, and together they charged into the enemies left flank.

Spittle flew as she first punched an enemy shinobi in the face before spearing him straight through with her spear and tossing him to the side.

Sakumo was far more efficient, his white blade dancing from enemy to enemy, ending them quickly with precise strikes to vitals. Some screamed in their last moments, others stared him in the face, unwilling to back down, nor accept the reality of their deaths, but he was used to it. The cycle of life and death found commonly on the battlefield. He was Konoha's White Fang, a hero of the Second Shinobi World War with a reputation far greater than even Sasori of the Red Sands, a puppeteer from Sunagakure. He had experience in droves, but what truly surprised him was how Tsubasa, regardless of her strength, was able to keep up with him.

As time went on, he noticed her attacks getting more and more brutal. Her fingers turned claws gauged deep wounds into the enemies chests before she impaled them with her spear which she used to vault over the corpses under foot. He shivered slightly watching her move. Like it or not, he soon found himself adjusting to her rhythm. The beating of his heart, the steady flow of his breath, all were beginning to sync up with Tsubasa's. It was intoxicating. He couldn't describe the feeling, nor put it into words he could truly express, but fighting with her felt, felt what? He didn't know this feeling. Yet it wasn't so bad. For now he would think about it later. There was no time for idle talk, nor absent mindedness.

This was war.

Blood rained over the battlefield, clusters of fire, water, earth, and wind Jutsus devastating the surroundings, yet through it all, Sakumo and Tsubasa plunged forward.

Numerous wounds were scattered across their bodies, their breathing laboured. It didn't matter how individually strong they were in the face of mass numbers. There was a reason why army slayers were given flee-on-sight orders, and that was because they possessed the skills necessary to deal with armies.

Sakumo and Tsubasa had no such abilities to deal with numerous enemies, and with the Uzumaki outnumbered four-to-one, the situation was growing bleak as the two grew increasingly tired. Their muscles scream in protest, and their limbs were growing weak and feeble under such stress and overuse.

How much more time did they need to buy?

Tsubasa spat out the blood collecting in her mouth from a cut lip, staggering as she pulled out a kunai buried deep into her thigh.

An enemy capitalized on her weakness and instantly went in for the kill, but a kick to the back of the neck from Sakumo quickly dealt with him. "Are you alright?" He spoke as he lent his shoulder for Tsubasa to lean on. He sported a couple injuries. Blood trickled down his forehead from a stray kunai he'd failed to detect as it had no killing intent when it was thrown. The rest of his clothes were also in tatters much like Tsubasa's.

" **Speak for yourself** ," Tsubasa rebuked before glancing wearily at Sakumo's broken left arm. " **Get out of here Sakumo. This isn't your place to die.** " She pushed off of him. " **You've done your part already, let me handle the rest.** "

The enemy side had given them a wide birth as they reorganized themselves to attack once again, meaning that this would be Sakumo's only chance to escape.

"And leave you to die?" Sakumo's gaze hardened, his Will of Fire burning from within him. Uzu was Konoha's ally, and he'd be damned if he ran away like a dog with its tail between its legs. That, and his heart refused for him to leave.

Tsubasa didn't respond, but instead, readily positioned her bloodied spear in front of her.

That was when Sakumo noticed something alarming. "They're splitting into two units."

" ** _What?!_** " Tsubasa whipped her head in the direction Sakumo was looking at and watched in growing horror as half of the center, and right flank charged in the direction of the barricade squad.

 _No! NO!_

Desperate, she charged frantically, her spear cutting a path through the enemies in front of her. Arms were severed, chests were pierced, and some even found themselves trampled under foot in wake of her war path. Yet she was not without injury, blood trickled down both of her arms, and her legs screamed in protest to move any faster. In the end, she was barred from reaching her destination.

However, it was then that she noticed it. An ANBU wearing _her_ mask standing before the barricade team. He was wearing the standard issue Uzu ANBU flak jacket and combat pants, and on each of his hands was a spear, a third strapped firmly onto his back.

Confusion filled her thoughts. She had never seen this ANBU before, nor had had she met one with the audacity to wear her mask in front of her, but orders instinctively flew out of her mouth. " **Defend**!" She yelled.

The ANBU didn't utter a word before suddenly disappearing, the ground crumbling beneath his feet. But what shocked Tsubasa the most was the absence of chakra in his moves. That single display was simply his physical powers alone?

Before she could even blink, she noticed that the enemies approaching the barricade squad were getting systematically destroyed. No matter if they launched their Jutsus, the red spear in the ANBU's hands would move like a hurricane, slicing through water, fire, earth, and wind all together?

What kind of spear was that?

The fighting near her and Sakumo ceased as both they and the enemy watched such an unbelievable act. It wasn't that the spear just simply cut through, it was the fact that the chakra dispelled upon contact. Earth walls were rendered back into soil, water was dissipated back into vapours, and even air and fire were rendered useless.

Who was this ANBU? Or if he was even an ANBU at all?

Still, this was their chance. She nodded towards Sakumo, and both of them pierced through the enemy line to stand by the unknown ANBU.

" **Name and Rank**." Tsubasa asked curtly. Absently, she noticed just how small he was up close. A child?

"That's unimportant," the ANBU responded as he pierced an enemy with the yellow spear in his right. "But you can call me Archer." The Anbu turned towards Tsubasa before motioning to the spear on his back. "Take this spear," he spoke.

Tsubasa raised a brow. " **I'm perfectly fine with the one I have right now** ," she reasoned.

"And this spear is one of Uzu's treasures only to be used in times of crisis."

The response left Tsubasa speechless. " **Uzu had such a weap** -"

She froze, doubts of such a claim fading away near instantly as she laid eyes on what the ANBU pulled out from within his blue flack jacket.

If anything, Sakumo was the most confused in the situation.

 _Storage Seals?_

* * *

Tsubasa couldn't comprehend it right away. An Uzumaki in the ANBU that she was not aware of, but that was because she _knew_ everyone. This was why she harbored suspicions on the ANBU that had appeared on the battlefield speaking of Uzu's treasure, but to think it was the young master astounded her. The storage seals he had pulled out and tossed amidst the enemy forces only solidified that fact.

She could see many on the enemy side laughing at their comrades for dodging the harmless storage seals thrown at them. Fools.

She had once spoken to Toma about his son wasting his talents, and was greatly disappointed when the man had come to her refusing her request. Yet now, she understood why. He had already been training him in _secret_. She had to give props to the future Uzukage, he even had _her_ fooled. Perhaps it was a ploy to get others to underestimate his son? Either way, if he spoke of a treasure Uzu possessed, there was no way it could be fabricated coming from the mouth of such an esteemed individual.

She sealed away her spear and watched as the storage seals exploded on the enemy side.

The sheer disbelief on their faces was mirrored by Sakumo who turned and demanded an explanation at the end of the battle. He wasn't an idiot. Like her, he must have quickly realized the potential of those seals.

Not only were sealing tags numerous, far beyond the manufacturing of explosive seals, but everyone, shinobi and civilian alike viewed them as harmless.

 _Deception, a shinobi's greatest tool._

Still, she had to address the matter at hand. She grabbed hold of the spear offered for her to take. It was a deep red, like the spear the young lord was holding, and it was slightly heavy yet not enough to affect her fighting style. What shocked her however, was the sheer bloodlust the spear exuded upon contact. For some reason, it was causing her chakra to flare in excitement.

"Careful," the Young master spoke. "Don't let its blood lust over take you."

" **Just what is this spear?** " She ended up asking, her curiosity getting the better of her. Her eyes however, still remained on the disorganized enemy.

"Uzu's deterrent. You'll understand why once you use it," the young master spoke dismissively. "We don't have time for a full explanation. The confusion caused by those sealing tags can only last for so long."

The young master crouched low, his eyes fixed on the enemy. "I'll gather them all into one spot. Unleash the spear's power at that instant."

"But why gather them into one spot?" Sakumo flicked the blood of his blade. "And moreover, how do you plan to gather all their attention?"

Sakumo was right. Even with him and herself, they weren't enough to stop the enemy from splitting into two.

"Just leave that to me," the Young master spoke before rushing off to meet the enemy.

Tsubasa bit her lip. She didn't know how she felt about the young master exposing himself to such danger, but she was also proud of him for fighting for the sake of the village. And to that end, she too would do her part.

She turned towards the spear in her palms. It was pulsating, drawing an astonishing amount of chakra from her reserves. It was too the point that she doubted anyone without an Uzumaki's reserves would be able to utilize the spear if at all.

Breathing slowly, she closed her eyes and followed the path of her chakra into the spear.

 _It seeks the heart._

More and more, she grew entranced in the spears unending desire for violence. It called to her in a way she had never felt before. If her chakra had once been flaring in excitement, now it had become a veritable crimson storm.

 _The hunting plains call once more._

She didn't notice, but Sakumo stepped back in trepidation as he felt the shift in her chakra. It was no longer controlled and refined, but wild and utterly untamed. And she _loved_ it. This feeling of euphoria running through her veins.

Growing up, people had called her a monster due to the nature of her chakra. A wolfwoman better suited to living in the world of the summons, but she proved them wrong with her ability alone, and she had Toma to thank for that. Nonetheless, never in her life had her chakra reacted this strongly to anything.

 _The lone Alpha of the rolling plains._

She blinked her eyes open to reveal a deep red, an understanding welling from within her. **_Gae Bolg,_** a cursed spear and the harbinger of death. She didn't know its history, nor did she know its previous wielders, or how Uzu had been able to obtain such a treasure, but she _didn't care_. What she had come to comprehend through the blood-lust radiating off from the spear was how to use it.

 _It seeks the heart._

 _Time is inconsequential, yet careful aim is crucial._

" **Sakumo,** " she spoke quietly in the chaos of the battlefield. Yet she was sure Sakumo would be able to hear her. " **For all that you've done for the sake of my village,** " a small breeze lifted up tresses of her vibrant red hair as she fully turned towards Sakumo. " **Thank you,** " She smiled out once again.

Despite her bloodied appearance, numerous stab wounds on her body, and long streaks of dried and flaking blood she stood strong in the face of her enemies: a true Alpha.

Sakumo stuttered out a flimsy response, eyes looking anywhere but at her chest which sported a flack jacket that was barely still able to protect her modesty. "You should thank me after everything's been dealt with," he spoke.

The smile dropped from her face as she spoke with certainty. " **That's why I have.** " She brandished the spear in front of Sakumo. " **This spear is one of Uzu's treasures, and on this day, I will show you why.** "

Before she could continue however, Toma and Shizuka Uzumaki appeared with an unmoving Hideki over Toma's shoulder.

"Tsubasa?" Toma asked as he lay down his father. "What is that?"

She didn't answer, but instead turned a concerned glance to Hideki, the man who treated her like a daughter as she grew up with Toma. She clenched her fists. " **Is he…** "

"No," Toma spoke. "I managed to get to him before the enemies reached the western gate. Sorry it took us so long, but all the civilians and families have been moved to the shelters."

Tsubasa nodded.

"Still, this situation is dire. Even from here I can still see the rest of the ANBU over there scrambling to create barricade seals. We need to buy more time or else the whole village will fall."

"Oi Toma," Shizuka called. "Who's the ANBU the enemy are chasing?"

Toma couldn't answer, and instead turned back to Tsubasa for answers.

Her response was blunt. "The Young Master."

Shizuka opened and closed her mouth, unable to form a response, her body freezing. That was her baby out there?

Toma was a bit different, because he had quickly deduced the origins of the weapon Tsubasa had on hand. "Did he give that to you?" He was already dreading the answer. She couldn't have found out about it, could she?

" **Yes,** " Tsubasa spoke. " **You didn't tell me Uzu had such treasures.** "

"Yes yes, sorry," he laughed in relief. "It's a treasure taken from within the clan's vault." He knew that lie would be broken the moment Hideki woke up, but he supposed it was time to let his father in on the secret.

"We have to go!" Shizuka urged, readying her gear. "We can't leave him to fight by himself."

Toma nodded, but was stopped by Tsubasa.

" **He has a plan,** " she said. " **He's not fighting them, but drawing them together. Frankly I don't know how he's doing it, but this presents us our biggest opportunity.** "

She brandished the spear. " **You should be well aware of what this spear can do.** "

Toma had to reluctantly nod in agreement to maintain appearances. Though stopping Shizuka seemed to be the hardest thing to do.

Tsubasa turned her gaze towards the converging enemy and closed her eyes once more to concentrate.

The blood lust of the spear once again flooded through her systems, her body subconsciously taking a battle stance with the spear.

She stood forward, her back straight with her knees bent to take a chakra enforced leap. This was it, this moment where her blood screamed at her to take action.

 _It strikes for the heart._

 _But when thrown,_

She breathed out, opened her eyes, and quickly took to the air in a massive jump. Her arm propped behind her, the spear's tip gleaming in an unmatched killing intent.

 _And call out its name._

" ** _Gae Bolg!_** " Her arm pushed forward, hurling the spear so fast that shockwaves resounded throughout the battle zone.

The light seemed to disappear from the world as a comet of killing intent descended.

 _It was in the stillness of the air, and the acrid scent of blood and death._

 _When the hound of Ulster once again takes to the fields of flowing grass._

 _A symphony._

 _A tragedy._

 _Desolation._

 _And righteousness._

 _The one known as the shield of Ireland, and the one known as his only partner._

 _Once again, in the swaying of the reeds, river lilies, and blood-soaked roses,_

 _A howl resounds in the silence of a world of blistering red._

* * *

Shirou watched the explosion from the distance, his hand nursing an injury on his shoulder. Gae Bolg, the cursed spear of Cú Chulainn, Irelands child of light and defender of Ireland. When thrown, it becomes an anti-army noble phantasm. Even from his position, he had to shield himself from the fierce winds that were produced, and plant his feet on the ground to stop himself from falling due to the shaking.

The effect stopped after a couple second, but he knew that the blast must have been felt for several hundred kilometers.

Sighing he gradually allowed the od reinforcing his body to dissipate. For even though it wasn't as taxing as projecting a Noble Phantasm, given enough time, it could still drain his reserves.

He picked himself off the ground and quickly looked to the weapons in his hands _Gáe Dearg_ and Gáe Buidhe, spears wielded by Diarmuid Ua Duibhne the first warrior of the Knights of Fianna. One spear severed all connections with the supernatural, while the other caused wounds that would never heal under the influence of magic, or otherwise.

He took off the mask he had picked from the battlefield. As for why he had even placed it on in the first place was in consideration of his father's efforts. He felt the travellers pass in his pocket, and reaffirmed his reasoning. His father had told him about the secrecy of the village. Of how inside of its walls he was known as the Young Master, but outside he was known as no one of importance. It would have to stay that way should he ever leave to visit the other hidden villages in the future.

Still, he was glad that his gambit had worked. Gae Bolg, would become for Uzu what the tailed beasts were for the other hidden villages.

 _A deterrent._

The thought had crossed his mind as the explanation by his father of Uzu's vulnerability didn't sit well with him.

As for how it could be possible, he had altered the composition of the spear to run on chakra alone. Noble Phantasms, armaments made using the imagination of humans given legend, ran on a distinct energy source, prana, or od, and would normally only be able to used by its wielder. This meant that it would be impossible to be wielded by other shinobi or individuals, but he had altered that property. What made a Noble Phantasm a Noble Phantasm was in the legend of its heroes and their achievements. The Gae Bolg used today did not possess that attribute of legend, it was more of a degraded and altered copy that required a substantial amount of chakra in order to utilize its mysteries. Relatably, it was more akin to high tier mystic code which was why it caused a single explosion when released rather than unleash multiple branching spears that would detonate on impact. However, the Uzumaki possessed higher than average chakra capacities so he had very little doubt they wouldn't at least be able to fire of the spear at least once.

The only thing that was unexpected was just how well the spear would take to the ANBU commander's chakra. It was literally absorbing every single drop, but perhaps it was because the chakra was different from the regular? Either way, it didn't matter.

He dismissed the two spears in his hands and began the walk back towards Uzu after placing the mask back over his face. He knew it was probably time for explanations, but he wasn't above simply giving half-truths.

 _Deception was a shinobi's main tool._

And if anything, he'd learned enough about that from his father.

Sighing, he reluctantly accepted his fate.


	5. Preparations to War: Part 1

As soon as Shirou appeared in the distance from the battlefield, Toma was already trying to find a way to explain everything to Tsubasa, yet nothing at all seemed plausible enough.

Therefore, he reluctantly accepted the reasoning Tsubasa had already assumed.

The unconscious Hideki he had brought with him began to stir, and a cold chill began to spread down his back. If he woke up now, wouldn't he be able to expose the lie of Shirou's cover and the origin of the spear?

Regardless of anything though, Toma didn't have enough time to do anything before Shirou arrived in front of them. He wore an ANBU mask, Tsubasa's on further inspection. The rest of his appearance consisted of the standard Uzu black ANBU gear: Combat pants, black painted armour breast plate, and a black long-sleeve.

Sakumo took a moment to stare at the returning ANBU, not understanding how he had been to survive the blast produced from the red spear, Gae Bulg, that had returned to Tsubasa's hands.

Speaking of which, many of the people present were still in shock of the blast produced from said spear. It was only Toma who appeared to have his wits about him, but he appeared to be thinking on other matters.

"T-That was?" Tsubasa muttered to herself as she cleared her mind and then promptly stared down at the spear. her eyes then widened upon noticing the two other spears slung behind Shirou's back. One was red, and the other was a deep gold.

Thinking about the destructive power of just the spear in her hand alone? She gulped, as did many of the others present.

"Awaiting orders," Shirou spoke as he stood at attention after greeting Toma. It was customary for ANBU to report to the highest ranking individual. With Hideki unconscious, that individual was Toma.

"R-Return to base, and store those other spears in the clan vault." Toma spoke quickly.

Glancing at the dazed expressions of the people around him, he leaned in and whispered into Shirou's ear. "We'll talk later, just leave quickly," he ordered.

Nodding, Shirou disappeared back in the direction of the village, letting Toma release a breath in relief.

Sakumo took notice of Toma's behaviour, but he didn't comment as Toma was the current standing leader of the village. It wasn't his business on what Toma got the ANBU to do.

As the surprise wore off on the people around them, Toma then ordered for the remaining shinobi to begin the process of removing the the civilians away from the shelter. He didn't know how Shirou managed to get out without assistance as the shelter he was placed in was one of the furthest underground, but what he did know was that it would be at least a day for Tsuki and the other people in the shelters to be moved out. It was easier for people to be evacuated in, but it was always a hassle to get them all out as they had to disable the seals around each chamber.

"I thank you for your assistance in this matter, Sakumo," Toma spoke gratefully.

"It was my pleasure to help," Sakumo replied.

"On behalf of my village, I also thank you," Tsubasa said with a bow as she deactivated her seals and Jutsu.

"Then I'll accept your thanks," Sakumo relented, and then promptly decided to help Tsubasa and a group of shinobi she took with her to survey the results of the battlefield as was part of her job as the ANBU Commander.

The group of them then left, leaving behind only Toma and the unconscious Hideki.

Toma felt as if he'd just dodged a landmine as Hideki was beginning to wake up.

Not wasting anymore time, he quickly slung Hideki's arm over his shoulder and disappeared with a body flicker in the direction of the Uzakage's Tower.

* * *

In the Uzukage's office, a plain square room with a desk at the center and paperwork scattered all around, there sat currently two people.

"They've retreated for now?" Hideki asked. From how exhausted his voice sounded, it appeared as if he could collapse at any moment. However, that could be related to the fact that he had just woken up recently as Tsubasa was detailing the battlefield survey to Toma. He had then shared a silent conversation with Tsubasa before he asked her to leave so that he can have a private discussion with Toma.

"Yes," Toma spoke. "The majority of the enemy took a heavy blow, and the rest scattered."

Hideki sat quietly for a moment, his eyes staring passively out the window overlooking Uzu. "There's something you're not telling me," he spoke without turning his head.

Toma began to fidget, but didn't speak a word.

Hideki took note of this, and sighed before continuing. "I have known you for the entirety of your life, and I know that there are only a few secrets that you would guard even until your death. Now," Hideki turned towards Toma, face set in stone, "which child is it?"

The colour began to rapidly leave Toma's face.

Hideki snorted. "You've raised enough protests with Kushina already, and she couldn't possibly have been involved in this event, leaving only one."

"I, I don't know what your talking about," Toma denied, crossing his arms.

Hideki only shook his head and used a hand to pick up the battlefield reports still piled neatly at the top of his desk. "An unknown ANBU changed the entire tide of the battlefield? Moreover," Hideki gently unsealed Gae Bulg from the scroll Tsubasa had sealed it in. "He brought along this spear along with two others which have been presently stored in the clan's vaults?"

Toma's face grew pensive as Hideki took a seat across from him after re-sealing Gae Bulg and placing the scroll inside his desk.

"An unknown ANBU? Surely you know there could be no such thing?" Hideki asked. "You were simply lucky that I wasn't conscious at the time, otherwise who would have believed in an unknown ANBU?"

Hideki's question was met with another round of silence. He sighed.

"Your persistence is definitely one of your good qualities, and I can rest easy knowing that you would withhold clan secrets to such a degree, but there's no use beating around the bush anymore. I already know who it is Toma," Hideki spoke with certainty, momentarily stunning Toma.

Hideki smiled wryly. "You would not begin to understand how confused I was when our esteemed ANBU commander began praising your keen insight and ability to train your son to such a level."

Toma smacked a palm over his face, internally reminding himself to lecture his past teammate about secrecy the next time he had the chance. Still, the words Hideki had spoken were enough to finally get him to see the futility in keeping everything a secret. Perhaps this was a good thing however? He began to contemplate silently to himself, once again weighing the pros and cons, and ultimately deciding to admit everything. After all, Hideki may be able to help him in his endeavors to protect his son.

Reluctantly, he began to explain what had transpired a few years ago by the river side, and why the hesitance he had displayed back then about Shirou remaining a civilian disappeared. He could still remember it clearly, the indecision within his mind: The father whose only wish was to protect his child, and the leader who had to look out for the safety of those who followed him. Even now, that decision continued to plague every choice regarding his son.

Hideki's face grew more and more somber the longer he continued explaining, the hand stroking his beard, long since fallen down to his lap.

"The boy does not yet know of his ability's significance?" Hideki asked after a moment.

"At this point, to him, it was probably just some neat ability or jutsu; a child's play thing that had randomly been discovered in his younger years," Toma spoke.

Hideki pondered silently to himself, tapping a finger against his desk as he thought. "No one else knows of this?" He asked.

Toma nodded.

"Good, _good_ ," Hideki repeated. "We should keep things that way, and discuss the true extent of Shirou's abilities when he grows older. Still though, a little warning to him sometime soon wouldn't hurt." An ability of the Sage of the Six Paths was not something to be taken lightly, even more now that it had revealed itself within the bloodline of the Uzumaki. If such news were to spread across the Hidden Villages, Uzu's safety could no longer be guaranteed. "Then this?" He motioned towards the scroll containing Gae Bulg.

"Yes, it was definitely not within the clan vaults or house treasury otherwise we would have taken it out to defend the village sooner. Knowing this, it was obvious to me where such a powerful spear could come from," Toma concluded.

"The Creation of All Things," Hideki muttered, his expression growing grim. "This secret cannot leave this room until such a time that the child would be able to take care of himself."

"Of course, that was already my intention," Toma spoke as he crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair. "For such a means, I have already called for Shirou."

Hideki nodded. "Then he should be here quite soon," he said.

Sure enough, Shirou appeared within a couple minutes, escorted personally by an ANBU who bowed and then promptly left.

"Hello, was there something you both needed?" Shirou asked. .

Toma and Hideki shared a look before nodding in shared agreement.

Hideki once again picked up the storage scroll and unsealed the spear inside. "You made this?" Hideki asked for clarification.

Shirou grew quiet for a moment, before coming to decision.

"Yes," he spoke with a nod.

For a moment, Hideki's features seemed to have de-aged by several years, the wrinkles near his brows fading as his complexion improved.

Shriou raised a brow, and Toma was the one to explain.

"By providing us such a powerful weapon, the other Hidden Villages would be temporarily at a stand still," Toma explained. "They do not know the capabilities of this weapon, nor do they know if Uzu is in possession of more. Therefore, they have no choice but to sit and wait as they gather intelligence."

Hideki silently agreed with Toma assessment. "Even with a deterrent as strong as this spear, Uzu still stands no chance against the major Hidden Villages. After all, we are only a single clan. Compared to the other villages with numerous clans, I'm afraid we are far too lacking." Hideki's brows creased. "Even worse, we don't have the numbers to fend off a full-scale war."

Shirou frowned before asking. "Frankly speaking, aren't we generally the same size as any of those other Hidden Villages?"

"That is correct, but what is most important to understand is the civilian to military ratio," Hideki explained. "Uzu has always been a pacifist village with most of our clansmen focusing on the sealing aspects, and others just enjoying a leisurely life. In regards to military might, we might as well be compared to a minor village with a large advantage due to our sealing arts."

A troubled look crossed over Shirou face as he thought about what he had just heard.

"Currently, there is peace, but it won't last long," Toma said. "We must use this time to build are defenses and bolster our military as much as possible. With the failed attempt on Uzu earlier, we have bought ourselves some time."

"Do we not have anymore clansmen wanting to join the military?" Shirou asked.

"We do, but it's still not enough," Hideki spoke with a hand over his chin. "The only other place with a large number of ready personal would be at the Amendment District."

Toma agreed with Hideki's words, but a complex expression showed on his face. "They aren't shinobi though," he said.

"What's the Amendment District?" Shirou asked before Toma and Hideki could continue discussing.

"As the name implies, it's a district located just outside the East of our clan's walls. It's a place where Uzu sends its failed graduates of the Academy who could not understand the values required to become official Shinobi. As such, the Amendment district was created with the intention of developing those failed graduates to become full fledged Shinobi," Hideki said.

"Then did it not produce results?" Shirou asked.

Hideki sighed before speaking.

"It wasn't that no results were produced, but it was due to the location of the district that began causing problems. The First Uzukage had built the district just outside of Uzu's walls, and had stated that the failed graduates must fend and manage themselves. This was done in hopes that the failed graduates could understand the importance of camaraderie to combat outside dangers. Yet the First Uzukage could never have foreseen the result of his actions," Hideki explained bitterly.

Toma filled a cup of tea for Hideki, but Hideki didn't bother drinking it, too lost in thought.

"By declaring that the residents of the Amendment District had to manage themselves with no help from the Village, the First Uzukage could do nothing when wandering bands of misplaced civilians and shinobi of minor clans from the First War began to take residence in the district. Although the influx of new residents was beneficial on paper, that didn't mean that their personalities and interests wouldn't prove detrimental. After all, some were thieves, and the majority of the shinobi that had come seeking shelter in the district were those that were the quickest to escape in the war."

Hideki's tone grew clipped before he paused to take a calming breath before continuing.

"As more and more people came, the structure and purpose of the District became skewed, yet it was fortunate that everyone that was present there still understood that Uzu was the one in charge. And this was enough to prevent the First Uzukage from taking action as his pride and obstinacy wouldn't allow him to take his words back when the district was founded. It was only when the Second Uzukage came into power that he tried to rectify the First's mistake, but by then, the new citizens had become too integrated. Families were made, and the blood of the Uzumaki even ran through their veins. The matter was then placed aside. In the case of family, the Uzuamki were always tolerant."

The steam coming out from Hideki's drink had long since faded as the tea cooled.

"Their numbers gathered from several years could potentially tip the scales of this conflict, but I'm afraid that most people you'll find there are failed Academy graduates due to tradition and their sons and daughters born over the years. Also, there's a growing number of thieves due to the influence of the first immigrants of the War."

Noticing how Shirou had remained silent the entire time, Toma and Hideki stared curiously at him.

Shirou scratched at the back of his head with a small smile on his face due to all the attention. "Just had a bit of inspiration," he spoke as he fiddled with the snake like ANBU mask he had kept from the battlefield.

The reason he had worn it in the first place was to protect his identity for all the effort Toma had put in to get him the traveler's pass, but maybe he could use this fake identity as a means to help the village? After all, he wouldn't be known as Shirou Uzumaki when he was behind the mask.

In the end, he managed to convince them to at least let him try an idea he had, the main factor being Toma's evaluation of him on the battlefield.

* * *

The Amendment District was exactly like what had been previously described. It was like another village outside of Uzu's walls.

The people there seemed to be just milling around doing nothing. Some absently picking their teeth with toothpicks, others just lounging on outdoor recliners.

The leisurely silence of the streets was the situation that an injured group of the remnants of the attackers of Uzu ran into. Normally upon activation of the Great Seal, the Amendment District would be protected from within, but that seal had been broken.

Noticing what was happening, the more senior level people of the Amendment District sent out a low whistle causing everyone of civilian level to retreat back into their homes and vacate the streets, leaving only those with Genin level skills behind, which, remarkably, still numbered quite a few. As the Settlement hadn't had a leader in the longest time, the people within depended on the wisdom of the senior generation in order to live through dangerous situations.

Such a situation was like the one present.

The invading shinobi in front of the villagers were injured, but that didn't mean that they weren't dangerous with their jutsus.

The village seniors inched closer together, drawing safety from their numbers.

"Leave," was the only thing that the senior generation said to the enemy shinobi.

The enemy shinobi laughed. "Leave? Why should we leave when are lives are already forfeit?"

A sour look crossed over the faces of the enemy shinobi. Even if they were to retreat, they would only be going back to their deaths or to a military trial after suffering such a massive defeat.

Upon hearing such words, the villagers took several steps back from the enemy, none of them wishing to bear the brunt of an enemy jutsu.

In the stillness present in the air, a whistling sound began to resound.

Confused, both sides turned to locate the sound.

Steel flashed across the sky, glinting from the light of the sun.

Kunai.

Swords.

Daggers.

They all surprisingly fell over the enemy shinobi's side.

Remarkably, the swords seemed to be forming a-!

"Q-Quickly!" One of the villagers called before rushing forward, hands gathering to form seals. "Seal!" He called, clapping his hands down over the ground and directing his chakra towards the quickly formed seal of steel.

Not only had the kunai, swords, and daggers attacked the enemy side, but they were thrown in such a way as to arrange the formation of a seal on the ground.

More and more villagers applied their chakra into the seal, and soon a light blue glow began to emit from the sealing pattern.

It was a Chakra Restriction Seal with an immobilization seal stacked on top.

Unable to move, and unable to use their chakra, the enemy shinobi were held in place.

Shirou wearing a snake mask jumped down into the open streets. Looking at the appearance of the shinobi in the Amendment district and the looks of greed in their eyes, it was clear that these people were part of the thieves Hideki had mentioned to him. In case,

"Loot them," he spoke. "Anything you steal is yours for the taking without consequence!"

A stunned silence echoed throughout the Settlement before more and more people began to poke their heads out from the homes they hid themselves in. For many, they could easily recognize the uniform of an Uzu ANBU, and even fewer could understand the symbol of the snake mask: ANBU Commander.

Some of the villagers swallowed. Those whose clothes were nothing more than rags due to living in poverty at the borders of the district began to critically eye the clothes that the enemy shinobi were wearing.

It was a fact that the order had come from an ANBU's mouth so there was no chance of penalization due to their actions. In fact, with a hungry gleam in their expressions, even the civilian level people of the Settlement began to stalk forward from their homes.

Shirou sweat dropped, watching as the horde of villagers descended down towards the immobile enemy shinobi. They were like a plague of locust upon the fields. One moment a shinobi had all his gear on him, and in the next the crowd descended and reduced the enemy shinobi into nothing more than his undergarments. Of course, the crowd didn't forget to thoroughly beat the enemy shinobi for threatening their lives either. Some even just beat them due to the animosity they felt for them attacking Uzu.

"Tie them up, and we'll send them back to the village for questioning later," Shirou spoke.

Grunting, the villagers did what was asked before staring at him curiously. It wasn't everyday that an ANBU came to the Amendment District to help them deal with danger. For some, an inkling of suspicion began to take root in their minds.

"I am the new leader of this Amendment District," Shirou spoke as if to answer them. He had gotten permission from Hideki and was using the one condition issued by the First Uzukage regarding the district. A leader from Uzu would always have to be in charge of the district. Although this rule had gotten lax over the years.

Instantly the mood around him soured. The Amendment District had been without a leader for decades, and for most of the inhabitants who enjoyed their freedom, that was a good thing. Yet now a leader had come after all these years?

Many of the villagers in the crowd began to disperse, leaving behind a brother and a sister around Kushina's age. Both had the trademark Uzumaki red hair, and both had square faces with pale skin, thin lips, and childish round eyes. The only differences involved the length of their hair. The boy had his long and tied up in dreadlocks that reached just past his shoulder-blades while the girl had hers just barely reaching past her shoulders.

Both of the siblings were now sporting mismatched items that they had stolen from the enemy shinobi. Black pants, combat vests, and kunai and shuriken holsters, to name a few of the miscellaneous things.

They smiled at him as he approached.

" _You_ want to be the leader?" The sister spoke, hands at her hips and face leaning forward. "I spit to that."

She was a very crude girl, he noted as he watched the brother begin to reprimand her.

"Manners Reimu," the older brother admonished before turning his attention towards him. "Sorry," the bother spoke. "We were raised here and she's picked up mother's bad habits. Teimu Uzumaki," the brother introduced himself.

"A pleasure," he spoke.

Teimu sized him for a moment, eyes trailing up and down his body.

"You're a brat?!" Reimu suddenly blurted out after a moment. It was only now that he was closer to them that they could make out his adolescent physique. After all, his height made others misjudge his true age.

Teimu smacked Reimu over the head. "No older than we are. Unless your calling ourselves brats," Teimu spoke eyeing the ANBU mask he wore. "Besides, he's far more accomplished than we are."

Reimu clicked her tongue and looked to the side.

"So, you really want to be the leader of this District?" Teimu asked.

"It is my intention," Shirou replied.

Sighing, Teimu raised a hand to stop the rebuttal about to leave Reimu's mouth and instead gave a hard stare at Shirou. "In that case, you'll have to talk to father. He's the current pseudo leader."

Teimu walked past him, accidentally bumping his shoulder as he walked by.

"Just follow me. I'll lead you to our house," Teimu said.

Shirou though didn't move from his spot. Instead, he cleared his throat and stretched a hand out.

Teimu laughed awkwardly for a moment before reluctantly taking out a pouch full of coins which Shirou could distinctly remember being tied around his waist. It would seem as if the sister wasn't the only one raised with a few problems.

"W-Well," Teimu scratched his head in embarrassment before proceeding ahead. "If you would follow me," he called.

This time, Shirou really did follow, taking the time to once again look at his surroundings. The further they walked, the less rundown the houses were beginning to look. Soon they stopped by a fairly normal looking house with a bit of vegetation growing over the house's walls.

"Please come in," Teimu said as Reimu pushed in past him and disappeared inside.

Nodding, he entered the home, and Teimu then sat him onto a chair and called Reimu to prepare some refreshments, but could only grunt when Reimu simply didn't respond back.

"That girl, I swear," Teimu spoke exasperatedly before turning to Shirou. "Father should be here in a moment so, feel free to make yourself at home."

With that said, Teimu soon left the living room before coming back with a rather tall and burly man with long hair and a greying long beard. The man wore simple clothes, a blue robe over his body held together by a white sash around his waist.

The man's face was deceptively blank, but he gave a gruff smile upon entering the room and seeing him.

"This is my father, Taku Uzumaki. You should understand where my sister and I got our names from," Teimu said. "Then for now, I'll be on my way." He left the room.

Taku gave him a once over before speaking. "You wish to take leadership of this settlement?"

Nodding, it didn't even take two seconds before Taku spoke again.

"You're two young for anyone to respect ya. Probably still haven't even grown out yer hairs," he spoke. "Besides, their ain't no use trying to control a District as hectic as this one. In the words of my missus, ya should 'beat it' while you can. There's a reason why this settlement's been leaderless for decades and old man Hideki should know that."

"Well that's just the thing," Shirou took the initiative and began to explain himself. "I don't plan to control anyone."

Taku remained silent before letting out a laugh. "Well said boy, but yer still gonna have to change yer appearance to get any of the seniors to show any respect."

Instead of replying, he simply placed his hand into a seal and molded his chakra for use. A bang, and a cloud of smoke quickly filled the room before dispersing. "Happy?" He asked.

He had used a transformation technique to change his body to what it was like in his older teenage years before reincarnating. His over-all appearance was still the same.

Taku snorted. "It'll do, but what exactly are you planning on doing. You said that you weren't going to control 'em, so ya would simply do nothin but be a figurative leader like myself?"

Reimu walked in at that point carrying a sour look on her face, and a pot of tea and cups in her hands. She was momentarily startled upon noticing his change in appearance, but she then simply scoffed and made dismissive gestures.

"Mom asked nicely for once, couldn't say no," she explained as she began pouring tea for her father. She then turned towards Shirou and reluctantly poured him a cup. She then sat in-between them with her back straight and her hands on her lap. She waited quietly on her father's commands.

"I actually do have a plan," Shirou answered, continuing from before Reimu walked in.

A small sparkle of interest flashed across Taku's eyes. "And whut do ya intend to do?"

"As a resident in this Amendment District, you must know what the First Uzukage had intended upon its creation."

"Aye, that I do," Taku said.

"I intend to do just that," Shirou said with conviction.

No one spoke in the room, only the sound of breathing could be heard.

Taku stroked his beard. "Go on," he said.

"As you all know, Uzu had just been attacked, and we repelled them. _War_ is coming, and Uzu simply doesn't have the military might required to protect itself from the full-scale aggression of any of the Great Villages," he spoke.

"And so Uzu has turned to the largest number of personnel available," Taku deduced. "This District has amassed a substantial number of people and shinobi since its founding, and our numbers are only growing, so I can see the point of yer argument, but," Taku's eyes hardened. "Wouldn't we be no more than fodder to enemy shinobi? Most of us here are failed shinobi in the first place either with mediocre skill, or selfish desires."

"But we are Uzumaki, and we have our seals!" Reimu suddenly interjected, her arms crossed. "You can't just belittle our people here father."

"Cool yer horses, that wasn't my intention," Taku spoke to Reimu. "And even with our seals, they would simply amount ta shit if we were caught unprepared by an S-class shinobi. I'm simply stating facts."

Reimu grunted and fidgeted away from Taku's stare.

Taku turned his attention back. "So?" He asked. "Am I wrong?"

He couldn't deny it, but he could cross that bridge when it came. "Perhaps, or perhaps not. The crux of your argument settles upon the fact of being caught unprepared."

"Exactly! We live amongst thieves and bandits, since when would we ever be caught unprepared!? There's no one else on the continent who fear for their lives more than us. There's no way we would let our guards down and be so easily killed!" Reimu exclaimed in her excitement.

"That's enough," Taku leveled a glare at Reimu and she instantly became meek, unable to even meet her father's gaze.

Taku then turned back towards Shirou. "I cannot see what the future holds. Either ruin, or something more, but like it or not, these old bones might as well see what ya have in store."

Shirou took a moment to digest the words spoken to him before he bowed his head. "Thank you," he spoke.

"No need for thanks boy. Even with my help, it'll still be a major hassle to get the rest to follow anything ya say," Taku spoke.

"I understand," he spoke with confidence. With his ability of Tracing, which allowed him to glimpse the history of a weapon's wielder as a side benefit, he wasn't worried.

Many of the blades he had once seen were once wielded by famous generals of the battlefield. People who knew and understood the hearts of people, and could lead the masses. As for dealing with the thieves, even from all the experiences from the history of the generals stored within their blades, he had already given up any notion of reform. Instead, he would rely on human nature.

Reimu was stunned from just how confidently Shirou answered, and began to ponder silently to herself with a complex look over her face.

Taku simply took a sip from his tea before speaking. "I can see it in the way ya pushed yerself forward from yer seat. Ya wish to ask something of me? Yer body language is quite obvious."

Shirou nodded. "Actually, I need you to spread word of a gathering at the central street. It will be the first time I will address the residents here," he explained.

Taku leaned back into his seat before sighing. "That's a hard task yer speaking of. Even with a few of the people curious in ya, most of em won't even give ya the time of day knowing that your taking over as leader."

He smiled before speaking. "That's easy. Tell them this: Anyone who comes tomorrow will receive monetary sum of a thousand Ryo." He couldn't change the nature of thieves and bandits; therefore, he could only rely on what thieves treasured the most. Ryo was the currency of the world he found himself in with ten Ryo equivalent to one dollar. Figuratively speaking, he was giving a hundred dollars for anyone who showed up for attendance.

Both Taku's and Reimu's eyes widened.

"T-That is," Taku was speechless before he quickly composed himself. "There's no doubt that that will work," Taku muttered under his breath. What Shirou might not know was that a thousand Ryo was enough to get any individual in the Amendment District to act.

"I'll get onto it right away," Taku spoke before getting up and leaving.

Reimu then quickly got up as well, calling for Teimu's to help spread the word. After all, didn't it mean she and Teimu would be getting two-thousand Ryo tomorrow? She and a confused Teimu were soon out the door and back onto the street.

Even from where Shirou still sat, he could already hear the commotion occurring outside, yet not a change occurred on his face. However, internally, he was apologizing to his parents and ancestors for using money from the clan's vaults without permission, but he already decided that he would pay it back somehow.

 _"Did you hear what's happening tomorrow?"_

 _"A-A thousand Ryo!"_

 _"We just have to show up right!?"_

News quickly spread throughout the Settlement, and when the next day came, overcrowded would be an understatement. People were pushing and shoving, the excitement of the crowd only growing as they stared greedily at the large sacs of Ryo piled neatly in front of them.

Shirou stood to the side, his ANBU mask still on, and dressed in the standard Uzu shinobi attire.

He cleared his throat and walked up on stage.

At this point, many people didn't even give him a glance, most of their attention drawn to the bags full of money. He began to speak anyway, reinforcing his voice so that it carried across the excitement of the crowd.

"I know that most of you have come her today just for the money," as he spoke the area began to quiet down. "And I can tell you that you will receive it upon the end of this speech. You can all line up later, and each of you will be given a thousand Ryo."

His last statement was met with a resounding cheer. He then waited until everything quieted down.

"For many of you here, this will be the first time seeing me, and that should be natural." He stared off across the disinterested crowd, but pressed on.

"All of you living here must understand the purpose of the District's founding," he stated. "All of you, for some reason or another can be considered failures of the Academy and know of the duty placed on your shoulders. As for the rest who had come to join the district later, the same blood now runs through our veins. Uzu is out home, and we all have a duty to it."

More and more people were beginning to listen as it was quite boring to stand around doing nothing.

"I am the Grandson of the Uzukage, but since I know many of you could care less," he spoke evenly while pacing back and forth across the stage. "You all can just call me Archer."

People in the crowd were giving each other bewildered looks. This was because everyone present understood the principle of the benefits of a higher position. For example, just one word from the Hokage in Konoha is enough to mobilize squad upon squad of shinobi. Similarly, Shirou could just force anyone in the district to do what he wanted, yet he didn't do so.

Their interests had become piqued realizing that this new leader of theirs wasn't exactly going to be like the previous ones, and of course, Shirou already knew that. This was because he knew first hand how difficult it could be to change one's life style to fit and conform. He was a prime example of one who refused to change his way of life and still persisted in it.

"There's only one rule here that we should all abide to," he paused, waiting until he knew everyone was paying attention.

"And that is to fight and live."

"To that end, I will give you all a means."

* * *

On that day, a force that would shake the very foundations of the Shinobi world was created.

* * *

 **Thanks for Reading, and Thank you to my newest patron: Dan S.**

 **P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**

 **On a side note: I really have been reading too many war stories lately.**

 **Next update: Vasto of White**


	6. Chapter 6

Life in Uzu had returned to normal with most of the villagers once again walking peacefully through the streets. However, both the Shinobi and ANBU were required by the Uzukage to maintain patrols around the borders and fortify their seals.

Ever since the attack on the village, an air of caution had begun to permeate.

It was simply the calm before a storm, and Shirou knew that he had to make the most of it.

Furrowing his brow, he walked in the streets of the Amendment District with an ANBU mask over his face. The people he would walk by would still give him blank expressions, but none were hostile. He could understand that though; not many viewed him as a leader, and in fact, even he had his own doubts. Still though, he had laid down a starting foundation within the district.

And that was all that he had intended to do at the beginning.

Acceptance was what he was aiming for at the moment, as he would need it for what he had in mind.

Figuratively speaking from a shinobi's point of view, civilians and ill-shinobi would not account for much on the battlefield. However, one would have to remember that he had come from a world where weak civilians were able to wage wars that could alter the face of the planet itself.

This was the power of human ingenuity,

Science.

He wouldn't boast about his own understanding of the subject, and in fact, most traditional magi could not. Yet, he was different in that he understood the mechanics of some aspects of modern invention, even more so when he was once closely associated with a prominent Yakuza group.

Presently, in the world he found himself in, it was actually quite confusing in regards to technological advancement. At times, he would notice others holding objects that resembled cellphones, and he had even seen computers, yet not once had he seen a firearm of any kind.

Firearms, or 'hot weapons' as they were once referred to were what made regular civilians in his previous world into soldiers, just as the old saying of arming peasants with spears would make them useful during conflict. With a firearm, one did not have to be skilled to become a threat. Add in Chakra, the world's most abundant energy, and just thinking of the results were quite frightening.

Chakra was the main source of launching Jutsu, a shinobi's special art which allowed them to pull off various magic-like techniques that ranged from spitting out fire, to altering the landscape itself. Thinking of such things, it was easy to see that even with firearms, it would be difficult to defeat higher level shinobi, yet not all shinobi were of the same caliber with only a few able to boast of such skills. For a majority though, firearms would undoubtable revolutionize warfare itself.

If he were to estimate just how fast and how far a trained shinobi could toss their kunai or shuriken, then based on the world's standards, it could possibly be around two hundred miles or more. This is based on the general strength and ability in the bodies of the people born into the world. This being the case, being able to throw a weapon at such speeds would already prove fatal for any target. However, guns were simply far faster, reaching speeds of a thousand-seven-hundred miles per hour on average in his previous world. Their speed and penetrative power of kinetic force alone would be fatal even without the use of Jutsu.

He could attest to such claims as he had more than once been able to examine with structural analysis the kind of guns the Fujimura group would leave lying around after a heavy drinking party.

With the situation Uzu had just faced several days prior, he realized now more than ever, that if he wanted his home to remain safe even without him, they would need more than just adequate defense. For example, he had heard of a Jutsu able to make physical copies of kunai or shuriken. Then what if that jutsu were used to replicate a speeding bullet?

And so, this was why he found himself stopping at a smithy's in the Amendment District. As to why he had not simply brought up such ideas to his father or grandfather, he knew well enough that it would only serve to increase his importance to the village. Such a thing would be detrimental as he still eventually had plans about exploring the world. Thus, it made the most sense to him to create this invention within the Amendment District where he knew that his identity would not be so easily exposed.

"Looking for a weapon?" Reimu spoke from the side with a brow raised. "Didn't think an ANBU would be lacking those," she said provocatively. "What do you need? A rusted sword? A damaged kitchen knife? A pan?"

He could understand where Reimu was coming from. The smithy he had arrived at was not one known to create high level weapons, but instead focused more on appliances.

Still though, he didn't stoop to her level of provocation, and instead turned to face Reimu's brother, Teimu, before speaking calmly. "I'll be troubling you," he said indicatively.

Confused for a moment, Teimu then had a look appear in his eye before nodding and moving towards the owner of the establishment.

Making small talk with the owner, Teimu then whispered a few words which garnered a quick reaction from the owner who quickly motioned for everyone to enter a back room.

"You wish to obtain something from me?" The owner spoke a tad warily.

The owner's wariness couldn't be helped though, for he had realized quickly of the effect the ANBU mask he was wearing had on others he had met for the first time.

"It's not really something I wish to obtain," Shirou shook his head thoughtfully and stared calmly at the owner. "Rather, its a manufacturing request."

Finishing his words, he fiddled with a scroll he kept in his pouch before opening it and disclosing the rough sketches he kept inside.

Reimu grunted as she peered at the disclosed design. "Isn't this just a pipe with a handle?" She couldn't help but say incredulously, not understanding the point of making such an object.

Teimu was more tactful in his response and only probed lightly asking, "what use is it?"

He merely allowed a faint smile to play across his lips, and decided not to explain until this idea actually became a success. Thus, his eyes remained only on the shop owner.

"Is it possible for you to make this?" He asked.

The shop owner took the design from his hands and quietly inspected what was being asked of him. "Aside from a few complicated looking pieces, it shouldn't be that difficult to complete with the materials I have on hand and the staff working the forge," the owner said after a moment before cutting to the chase. "The pay?"

He didn't give out a solid figure, and instead took a tied pouch he had been carrying and placed it in the hands of the shop owner. Upon opening the pouch, an expression of greed flashed across the shop owner's eyes before the owner began laughing heartily.

"Be back within three or so days, the boys and I will it ready by then," the owner boasted.

"Much appreciated," he said with a quick nod before deciding to leave the store with Reimu and Teimu.

On their way out, the shop owner even went as far as to wave them good bye, bewildering both Reimu and Teimu.

"How much money did you pay him?" Reimu asked incredulously. "I've never seen the man so motivated."

Teimu didn't say anything, but it was evident that he was just as curious as his sister.

Truth be told, what he had used to pay the owner had come out of his own pocket in the form of the allowance his mother had given him in case he wished to buy anything. Based on his personality though, he had never used it to buy anything, and had not even seen the amount inside. Thus, he could not answer Reimu's question, but he could at least alleviate some of their curiosity.

"If you're still curious about what I intend to do with the 'pipe with a handle,'" he spoke quoting Reimu, "Then I suppose we can all meet again here in three days time. In the mean time, I do have a job you can both do."

"Oh?" Teimu was the first to ask of the two.

He pulled out another scroll from his pouch and disclosed the content of what was inside. Once again, it was another sketching. This time though, instead of a pipe with a handle, it was simply a cylindrical cone-shaped metal.

"There are other smithing areas in this district," he stated, getting a nod from Teimu.

"Let me guess," Reimu spoke crossing her arms. "Another manufacturing order?"

He simply voiced his agreement before noticing the smile forming on Reimu's face as she gestured with a hand. Her thumb rubbing against her two fingers in a motion that was easy to comprehend.

Brow twitching for a moment due to the sheer boorishness of Reimu's actions, he quickly tossed another one of the pouches his mother had been giving him every month.

Upon opening the pouch, both Reimu and Teimu put on dazed expressions, and for once, it didn't seem as if Reimu had any response to give.

"Grandson of the Uzukage," Teimu muttered while a sparkle appeared in his eye. "This job is as good as done!"

Word said, Teimu then grabbed the still dazed Reimu and ran in the direction of the other smithing shops.

Left behind, he could only feel a slight sense of disbelief as he stared at the other pouches he still had from his mother. In the end, just what kind of treasures, or amount of cash did she place inside them?

Shaking his head, he quickly realized,

He probably never wanted to know.

* * *

The following day, he was no longer in the Amendment District, but back on the streets of his neighborhood in Uzu.

People called out to him on both sides of the road, and he would easily respond back, even stopping a few times for a quick chat with some of the older Uzumaki. This was accustomed to him since a young age. Knowing his personality, he was never the kind of person who would ignore others greeting him. In this regard, he ended up wasting a lot of his time and eventually ended up late to his rendezvous spot near Uzu's training field one.

There, Tsuki was standing, leaning her back against her tree and her arms crossed. She had been feeling useless as of late, and had begun training relentlessly as soon as she was out of the shelters and had verified his safety. Other than that, she was thinking of methods to help the village in this tough situation.

Presently, she was glaring at him in one of the rare few times she had ended up doing so.

"You're late," she said as he landed in front of her.

"Well, I sort of got held up talking with this lady, and then an old man was having trouble, so I…" He continued speaking on and on, being truthful the whole time, yet remaining oblivious to the growing exasperation on Tsuki's face.

"Stop, stop, just stop. No more," Tsuki spoke holding a hand to her forehead. "Lady Shizuka had once told me it would be in my best interest to remain beside you within the village, but I had never understood why. I think I understand now though," she muttered.

He raised a brow. "You asked me to help you with training?" He said after a moment.

Tsuki grinned before scratching her head. "Well, not really. In fact, I improve more when I train alone," she admitted.

"Then?" He probed.

"I just wanted to ask your opinion on this new seal I've been working on," Tsuki said seriously.

He was momentarily left at a loss after Tsuki's words. After all, in all of Uzu, almost everyone knew of his capabilities with seals. Particularly his strong affinity for explosions.

"Okay, I know what you're thinking," Tsuki said. "But I know you better than others," she said with a hint of pride and a small flush to her cheeks. "It's not that you are incapable of using the sealing arts, but rather, there's something about you that currently makes you incompatible with them. Even if that's the case, I suspect that out of everyone who graduated from the academy, you alone are the most knowledgeable about seals."

He was left floored for a moment, trying to come up with a reasonable response, but then again, he realized that she was correct. Although he couldn't use the sealing arts at the moment, it didn't mean that he was any less knowledgeable than the others. And even then, he still had his Structural Analysis to aid him in creating or recreating any seal he had presently seen. Thus, the frightening number of seals his family kept stored in his home was something he had been privy too and had been able to study.

"What's this new seal then?" He ended up asking.

Tsuki rummaged though her shinobi pouch and produced a sealing scroll with various patterns drawn atop the thin paper. "Take a look," she said.

He took the scroll from her hand and unraveled it to see a stunning sight. Seal after seal was spaced evenly throughout the scroll. In fact, there were literally more than a hundred of them. What made it stunning though, was that all the seals were _identical_.

The sealing arts of Uzu were all drawn by hand, and as such, it took a certain degree of skill to create exact copies of any particular seal. Even common storage seals had individual differences that could be made out after careful inspection. That however, did not truly affect the final result, but one has to remember the that the efficiency of a seal was entirely based on the perfection of the design. To see so many seals look identical, it was definitely uncommon.

"Storage seals?" He ended up saying.

That was precisely it. Every single identical seal was a storage seal.

"Yes," Tsuki nodded. "I'm sure you've noticed by now, but all the seals you'll find on that scroll are identical," she said.

"Indeed," he said. "I did not know your skill with the brush had improved to such a degree."

Tsuki laughed good naturedly before placing a hand down to one of her pockets and producing a small wooden rectangular box. "Nothing of the sort," she said before presenting him with the box she had in hand.

He didn't question her actions at all, and simply took the box from her hand before opening it. His eyes instantly widened. This was, wasn't this-

"From the first time I stepped foot in the Uzukage's office, I had always harboured this thought in mind after seeing the mountains of paper work on his desk," Tsuki admitted. "Seeing our village leader reduce that mountain down by half so fast, I couldn't help but stare at the object in his hand."

Yes. In all of Uzu why had no one thought of such a thing until now?

What he found in the box Tsuki presented him, was a simple stamp etched with the symbols of the storage seal. Instead of wasting time and effort to create identical seals, wouldn't it have been far easier to make a mold out of a stamp and save all the time?

He felt like he had missed something so obvious, but quickly he thought about the benefits of such a thing.

"Was this all that you wanted to show me?" He asked.

"Yes actually," Tsuki admitted. "If you ended up liking it, I was hoping you could help me propose the idea."

He instantly nodded, gaining a smile from Tsuki.

"I knew I could count on you!" She spoke excitedly.

"Don't mention it. Out of everyone in Uzu other than my family, I know you the most," he said, causing Tsuki to open her mouth, but have no words to respond with. Instead she just began to play with her hair while her eyes looked down towards the side.

"That being the case, would you mind if I asked for a small favour?" He spoke.

Composing herself, Tsuki then coughed into her hand before prompting him to speak.

"Do you have anymore of those stamps?" He ended up asking after a moment.

Tsuki was momentarily taken aback after his question, but still answered. "Yeah," she said. "I have two or three more that I've been working on after training."

He fell silent in thought before opening his mouth to speak once again. "Would it be possible for you to make a stamp this big," he motioned at the diameter of his pinky.

Tsuki furrowed her brows. "It will be hard," she admitted. "Even with the storage stamp I've shown you, it would normally be impossible to graft a seal on the stamp according to the size you gave." She further contemplated. "But I should be able to do it using the special Fuinjutsu my father has been working on."

"He's completed it?" He asked surprised.

Tsuki's father was a sealing expert in Uzu who mainly dabbled in the field of discovery, choosing to create new seals rather than improve the old. In this way, his previous project that focused on the prospect of magnification and compression must have been completed.

Tsuki sweat dropped before she spoke hesitantly. "To a _degree_ ," she said. "More to the point, not only is the seal father created complex, but it's still only partially complete with the aspect of compression being the only functioning component. Still though, it should be more than enough, but only father can use the seal as it's too complicated for anyone else to make. In a way, it's probably going to become an Uzu specialty that will aid in the production of new stamps."

Tsuki blinked realizing she'd forgotten something important. "What kind of seal did you want on the stamp anyway?" She asked.

He didn't even have to ponder further on what seal he was going to ask for. "Explosive seals," he said.

"Alright then," Tsuki said with a raised brow, choosing not to ask anything. "When will you need it by?"

"I would appreciate it in two or three days if possible," he said.

Tsuki paused as she took out an unused stamp and an explosive seal she kept along with her shinobi gear. From her appearance, he could tell that she was comparing the explosive seal with the area she had to work with on the stamp. "I should be able to draw an identical seal to this, and father can then shrink it down to form a mold for the stamp. Otherwise, no matter how hard we try, it would be impossible to graft a seal onto something this small," she analysed.

"Then I'll be relying on you," he bowed his head to show his sincerity.

If Tsuki were able to do this for him, then it would greatly help in what he had in mind for the first introduction of firearms to the shinobi world. From there, he knew that everything would be bound to change, and Uzu would have even less to fear from a full-scale attack.

"N-No you really don't have to bow your head," Tsuki stammered.

"Even if that's the case, what you're going to do for me is a big help," he insisted.

Hearing his words, Tsuki fell silent before coming to an internal decision of some sort.

"A day then since it's something important to you," Tsuki spoke resolutely with determination flickering within her eyes. "I'll have to start right now though before my dad gets too busy, so if you'd excuse me, I'll see you directly tomorrow with it!"

"Wait!" He ended up calling as he saw Tsuki prepare to leave.

Pondering over it one last time in his mind, he decided that if Tsuki was going to contribute to this experiment, then she might as well understand what it was that he was going to use those explosive seals for. The fact that she had not asked of their purpose at the beginning showed just how much faith she had in him.

"Meet me in the Amendment District two days from now. I'll show you what I have planned," he spoke.

Tsuki nodded happily after hearing his words, realizing that he was not going to leave her in the dark. Because of this fact, he had inadvertently motivated her further to finish his request within a day.

Thus, he blinked as he watched Tsuki leave with such speed that only dust was left behind where she had previously stood.

Scratching his head, he decided to attend to other matters. Namely, other things involving his plans with the District.

"Shirou," a voice spoke from behind him.

Turning around, he saw Tsubasa in her ANBU mask standing closely behind him. "These are the reports you have asked from Lord Hideki and Toma," she spoke before handing them over.

Instead of answering straight away, he couldn't help but verify certain rumours floating through the village. This particular one involved Konoha's White Fang, and why he had still yet to leave for Konoha. From the looks of it, this certain rumour appeared to have some merit to it.

If it weren't for his reinforced eye sight, he would not have had been able to spot the traces of silver following closely behind Tsubasa wherever she went. Similarly, if not for his heightened smell, he would not have been able to detect the smell of dog lingering in the distance.

Sakumo Hatake, was tailing Tsubasa Uzumaki.

He shook his head and didn't think too much on the matter, instead giving his thanks to Tsubasa for providing the reports, and then watching her leave along with flashes of silver that trailed behind her. Coincidently, this flash of silver would somehow bump into Tsubasa several moments later.

He wouldn't question it.

He really wouldn't.

Instead, his attention turned to the reports in his hands. They were statistics on the people currently residing within the Amendment District, and the amount of supplies the District was in possession of, namely the iron and steel the district had.

Both Toma and Hideki were still skeptical about what he had in mind for the certain district, but all would be revealed in the end assuming everything goes according to plan.

With this in mind, he found a quiet place to sit down and read, sorting out his thoughts.

* * *

By the time three days had passed since he'd last appeared in front of the Smith's shop, he was once again making his way there. This time however, Tsuki was accompanying him in a daze as she stared at the ANBU mask over his face.

"Y-You, since when did this-?"

She was simply stupefied and had no words to truly voice it.

He could get where she was coming from though. Like Konoha and the other Hidden Villages, it was actually quite difficult for Shinobi to be upgraded to ANBU at such a young age. Not only were ANBU expected to go through harsh training, but they were normally always the best of the best; those who were in direct command by the leaders of each village. For him to be wearing an ANBU mask, it meant to Tsuki that he had somehow been able to become an ANBU in the short times that she was away form him.

What he didn't yet know though, was that her shock was far more than he had imagined. After all, he had a particular Snake mask over his face, signifying a truly important position within the ANBU. This made things even more unbelievable for Tsuki, rendering the Academy's number one speechless.

By the time Tsuki had been able to compose herself, the both of them were already standing in front of the particular smithy he had once been to. Off to the side a short distance away was Teimu and Reimu who upon seeing them made their way over.

"You're late," Reimu ended up glowering while pressing her finger directly on his chest. "How do you plan to compensate us?"

Hearing her words, Tsuki's eyes narrowed. Even more so when she realized that not only was Reimu close enough to poke him in the chest, but her position made it appear as if the two were rather _close_.

Tsuki didn't know it, but this was simply Reimu's personality. He knew that she didn't give a damn about personal space, and was far more forward in her interactions. It was simply a result of the environment she was raised in.

Still though, Tsuki didn't know that and her narrowed eyes then shifted into a glare as a part of her felt a great animosity towards this, this _leech_. Especially when she saw her take next actions.

Reimu took him by one arm and began pulling him towards the store to get the matter over with.

"She's just bored," Teimu spoke from the side. "You didn't actually make us wait that long, but my sister has always found it hard to entertain herself outside of training," he explained. "If anything, our father is the only one who can control her."

"Then she just needs more discipline," Tsuki spoke, crossing her arms while hastily following into the store.

Soon, the store owner from before brought them all into the back room upon seeing the group.

"Here they are," the owner presented.

Like Reimu had once said, what the shop owner had presented looked like some sort of pipe with a handle in the eyes of everyone present aside from himself.

The pieces were not stuck together yet at the moment, missing the final step of welding, but this was how he had requested it at the moment since he needed to apply his own touches to the object.

"Do you have the stamp I asked for and the storage stamp you showed a couple days ago?" He asked Tsuki.

"Yes, they're both here," Tsuki spoke presenting the asked for items.

In a few moments, all the items were laid out across the lone table in the back room.

From the moment Tsuki brought out the stamps, it drew a curious eye from everyone in the room aside from himself who knew of its use.

Ever more surprising to them was when he took the stamp with the explosive seal and stamped it on one of the inner compartments of the shaft, the part that would be the gun barrel, and then left a seal there.

Teimu and the shop keeper rubbed their eyes, but the seal imparted from the stamp didn't disappear. It was only Reimu who had become the most vocal. As Uzumaki who had all had experience learning the sealing arts, what they just seen happen was, was-

"Why didn't anyone ever think of this before. Better yet, why didn't _I_ ever think of this before?" She ended up cursing afterwards.

Since sealing arts depended on the craftsmanship, or penmanship of the seal to derive its effectiveness, then a stamp should work just as well to reproduce the same result with less effort. The only thing that would matter then was the quality of the stamp.

Regardless of what others were thinking at the moment, he didn't pause in his actions. Instead his hands moved with purpose, assembling together the item on the table. Looking at the object coming together, it resembled a large steel musket he had once seen from a text book in Homurhara Academy. To the others though, it still looked like a pipe.

Taking the storage stamp, he stamped it just above where he had stamped the explosive seal. From there, he motioned for someone to activate the storage seal since he was unable to do it himself becasue he risked a bad reaction with his chakra. In which case, both Reimu and Tsuki acted at the same time, but Tsuki was closer and had been the one to lend her aid in activating the storage seal.

Giving Tsuki the stink eye, Reimu hmphed.

Instead of paying attention to the two at the moment however, he instead began to release a steady stream of chakra into the storage seal, stopping after storing a substantial amount. In relation to his chakra's function, it would be act as the primer.

"Teimu," He then called.

"Yeah?" Teimu asked.

"Did you end up getting the things I asked before?" He questioned.

Teimu gave him an amused look. "Of course, I did. Who do you think me and Reimu are?"

"Then, where is it?" He asked.

Instead of answering, Teimu simply gestured to Reimu who withdrew a storage scroll from the pouch she carried fastened to her upper thigh. "They're in here," she said.

Nodding, he then turned his attention back onto the completed weapon in his hand before giving it to the owner of the store to fully weld together all the parts. He had needed to have the parts unattached to brand fuinjutsu seals within the inner chambers. The explosive seal was necessary as a means to substitute gunpowder which he didn't have the time to make. Still though, the explosive seal should be far more potent then the gun powder anyway. All that was necessary was the necessary pressure build up within the gun barrel. That itself was the driving force.

By the time the shop owner returned with the steel musket, everything was in place.

All that was left was the last stage of reinforcement he put the makeshift musket through, hardening the steel even further and making it near indestructible.

"So, now what?" Reimu spoke unimpressed as she looked at the musket. "It's hard pipe, great at causing concussions," she then took the musket from his hands, and widened her eyes. "Somewhat heavy too."

He smiled wryly. At first impressions, it did indeed resemble something of a heavy weapon. Even more so since it was made with something as heavy as steel. Still though, it was necessary to make for certain that the material wouldn't break and be able to contain the explosion within the gun's shaft.

"Although you could use it like that, that's not its strongest use," he said. "If you want to see what I mean, we'll need a clear place away from others. A training field would be ideal."

The owner, after hearing his words, placed a hand under his chin and thoughtfully said. "Why not use my back yard?" Evidently, the owner was still feeling generous due to the amount of money he was given to undergo this task.

He nodded. "Then we'll have to trouble you," he said before thanking the owner.

With a shrug, Reimu was about to toss the gun back into his hand, but he quickly stopped her.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to use it," he spoke truthfully as they entered the shop owner's back yard.

Everyone raised the brow after his comment, not understanding what he meant.

Either way though, when everyone was in the backyard, he asked the owner to set up a target a distance away. Complying, the owner propped up a large plank of wood then drew a circle on it to indicate where to aim for. By this point, everyone had realized that the weapon currently Reimu's hand was not actually a melee weapon, but a ranged weapon.

Understanding this, Reimu once again began to inspect the weapon in her hand, inadvertently staring down into the muzzle, but at least it wasn't loaded and she didn't know how to use it.

"Use it like this," he spoke and began instructing.

First, he told Reimu to take one of the 'bullets' she had stored in the storage scroll, and seal it within another storage seal made through Tsuki's miniature stamps. This was similar to the concept of stored bullets in an actual gun magazine, the bullets being constantly supplied one by one by releasing the seal on the storage seal.

He then quickly instructed Reimu to stand in the proper position and take aim.

"You remember those seals you all saw me place inside of this contraption?" He asked.

"They were two storage seal and an explosive one," Reimu recalled.

He nodded.

"And what was stored in the second storage seal?"

"Your Chakra," Teimu was the one who answered.

Once again, he nodded.

"What you need to do Reimu, is to first activate the storage seal containing the bullets, and then filter a portion of my chakra from the other storage seal over the explosive seal within the weapon in your hand."

Hearing his words, Tsuki's face blanked before shifting to one of horror.

There was only one thing that almost everyone in Uzu knew, and that was the sheer explosive power of his chakra reacting with a seal. Not only were the explosions loud and damaging, but that had only been from storage seals that did not function to explode. Thinking about what would happen should the intended recipient seal be an explosive one, the image was not pretty. Still though, the explosion itself acted as an unmatchable propellant.

As to why his chakra was necessary in the storage seal, it was simply due to the absurd physical feats the inhabitants of the world were capable of performing. If a regular explosive seal exploded and propelled the bullet forward, its speed and penetrative force would pale in comparison to the amount of thrust generated from an explosion fueled by his chakra. It was like the difference between the strength of a handgun verses a magnum.

"The Storage seal is able to be reached after you pull the trigger on the handle-like part of the 'pipe,'" he explained. This was also the reason he was unable to use it since he could not activate the storage seal without it exploding.

Reimu raised a brow but didn't need further instructions. Instead, she did as she was instructed and took aim, sending a trace of chakra to her finger holding the trigger. She didn't wait for any signal on his part, but rather she was still skeptical of the use of such a weapon. Granted, she had never seen anything similar to it, and had no idea about just how destructive the results were going to be.

Her finger pressed the trigger, and almost immediately, chakra entered the storage seal which prompted the next action.

In a loud roar of smoke, fire, and a startled high-pitched yelp, everyone was simply caught stunned. The one large plank of wood propped a distance away had a massive hole directly at its center, and through that hole, they could see similar holes stretched out a distance of over a hundred feet into the forest nearest to the backyard.

Someone swallowed, but no one could determine who at the moment.

The gun still in Reimu's hand had smoke coming out from the shaft, but it was still relatively undamaged even with the explosive reaction that had taken place within it. Luckily, the reinforcement he had placed on the gun was enough to do its job.

It was only after a moment did everyone get their wits back about them. Reimu, despite feeling embarrassed for letting out such a demeaning yelp, had a flame of undying excitement within her eyes. She knew very well what such a weapon would mean in war. Numerous times she had heard from her father about the dangers of taking on other shinobi stronger than her,

but,

She stared at the weapon in hand and couldn't help but shudder after thinking just how fast the weapon fired. It was near instant from the moment she pulled the trigger.

In such a case, even if the enemy shinobi were stronger, would they even have the time to launch an attack before they were already hit?

"Fuck!" She yelled in glee. "This baby's amazing!"

She wasn't the only one in astonishment at the moment, everyone was.

Even the shop owner was besides himself, staring back and forth from the wooden plank and the weapon in Reimu's hands, and then realizing that _he_ was the one who made that weapon. A pride of sorts took root within him because he was certain that this weapon will one day be recognized by the entire Elemental Nations.

"W-What's it called?" Tsuki asked.

Staring at its current appearance, he already knew a fitting name. "I'll call it a musket," he said. "And its use is as you've just seen. Load the bullets inside the storage seal, and then pull the trigger to activate the rest of the seals. You all know the result."

Everyone took a moment to digest the information, unable to keep themselves calm.

It was only Teimu who was oddly calm. He was the only one who was remembering exactly what it was that was mentioned during the district gathering a few days earlier.

 _"_ _To that end, I will give you all a means."_

Considering such words, his eyes widened from the implications before turning them to the weapon still in Reimu's hands, a musket from what Shirou had said.

"You plan to arm everyone here with a musket?" Teimu asked.

Under the gazes of everyone present, he simply nodded before turning to the shop owner. "I'd like to place an order," was all he said.

His next actions were to give Teimu a list of people to hand over to his father Taku to organize before giving him a list back.

This was the starting troop of Uzu's newest armed force.

* * *

 **Thanks for Reading!**

 **P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**

 **Next update: The Vasto of White**

-Note: Started a Fiction Press account on the Fanfiction Sister site and published a story: The Lonely Peak for any interested. The Sister site is actually quite fun for those wanting to practice writing a completely original story. It will be a side hobby of sorts.


	7. Chapter 7

A small group of twenty odd people stood confused in an open field outside the Amendment District. Their ages varied with the youngest being sixteen and the oldest around twenty-five. The majority of them were staring at the small table propped at the center of the field holding what looked like a metal pipe.

This metal pipe was the recently created 'musket,' and near it stood Shirou and Reimu. Their purpose in being there was solely to teach.

Shirou stepped forward and introduced himself followed shortly by Reimu who just shrugged. After all, she already knew everyone.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming," Shirou began as he maneuvered himself behind the table and motioned downward. "This is something called a musket, and today we'll be teaching you of its use."

The group of people began to discuss amongst themselves with a few even beginning to frown. This was because it appeared as if Shirou was just wasting their time much like how salesmen attempt to get others to buy their goods. Still, they wouldn't just leave without a reason.

"Is this all, a pipe or a metal bar? I thought it was said that we may be able to participate in future missions if we came here," grumbled someone in the group.

It was a boy around the age of seventeen with his hair parted at the sides and swept back behind his head. He was one of the failed graduates of the Academy who wasn't able to become an official shinobi of Uzu. Yet it didn't seem as if the boy had given up on that notion yet, and was displeased after thinking that he'd been duped.

How unfortunate though that he showed his displeasure in front of Reimu.

Reimu's lips thinned as her expression gradually shifted into a sneer, her small hands beginning to ball into fists. In the first place, she knew of just how destructive this new weapon was, and to have others look down on it before even seeing its capabilities? It was like a slight against her who had taken an immediate fancy to the weapon after using it once.

"Shut up fool with no mind!" Reimu yelled, her appearance causing others to stagger back.

She had used a transformation skill like Shirou to make her appear around the age of seventeen as no one would take the words of a twelve-year-old too seriously. Especially when she was only present to help impart the experience she had with the musket onto others.

"Before you open your mouth again, why don't you wait and see why it is you were called here," Reimu said crossing her arms.

The boy was stunned for a moment before his face coloured red, and he hmphed, turning his head away at the same time.

Shiour watched the proceedings and began to question what it was that Taku saw in these people for them to be considered worthy of developing.

In any case, it was better to get started lest someone set off the girl beside him.

Clearing his throat, he picked up the musket and asked everyone to step aside and direct their attention towards three small targets in the distance. They were human-shaped test dummies with the heads painted red, and amusingly, the groin as well. Over the chest area was the standard shinobi flak jacket used for protection.

Each of these targets were spaced further and further apart from each other, with the farthest being around 175 yards, and the nearest around 10 yards. The middle target was at 50. Based on the ones in the Shinobi Academy, the distance for the second and final targets were quite far when compared. This was because the Academy had to accommodate for a child's size and general strength, forcing the instructors to set the targets closer.

This caused the boy who'd mouthed off earlier to instantly become somewhat interested, his hands subconsciously moving towards his kunai holster by force of habit.

"Y-You intend to hit them?" The boy asked skeptically.

"Indeed!" Reimu spoke before Shirou could open his mouth. "This is a new weapon that can change the very tide of a battlefield!"

Shirou just shook his head before presenting the musket in his hand. "It's called a musket, and it's a ranged weapon much like kunai and shuriken, but the range and penetrative power is far superior."

Saying that, Shirou instructed Reimu to begin after giving her the musket. She then pointed the musket in the direction of the first target and slowly went through the movements to let others get a good view on the weapon.

Suddenly, everyone watching suddenly jumped as a bang echoed across the empty field.

The group of twenty stood shocked, their open-mouthed expressions revealing their thoughts on the matter. That was because the first target dummy was missing a head, but this wasn't really what caused the most astoundment. Instead, it was the correlation of the trigger Reimu had pulled and the obliteration of the target's head.

It was instant.

Like when light fills a dark room after one flipped a switch or lit a fire.

The boy who had spoken out before swallowed as subsequently, Reimu aimed the muzzle of the musket at the first target's arms and legs. With each pull of the trigger, a hole was produced large enough for one to see through it. It was even more incredulous when the same degree of accuracy and instantaneousness was shown when Reimu pointed the musket at the second target.

It was extremely efficient, and enough of a presentation to have the group of twenty realize the extent of what it would mean to be in possession of such a weapon. They may not even need any fancy jutsu or sealing arts if they could just stop the enemy shinobi before they performed the necessary hand signs to actualize their techniques. It was a moving thought. Even more so when over half of the people present were just like the boy who had spoken out earlier, failed shinobi graduates with ambitions for something more. Perhaps this was why Taku had recommended them.

It was only when Reimu pointed the musket at the furthest target that the group of twenty's breaths nearly hitched. That was because of the target's distance. During a fight between Shinobi, an ideal range of combat was preferably around fifty meters to allow both Shinobi the accessibility to utilize their justu. Of course, there were exceptions like those who preferred a closer range, and those who preferred a farther range due to differences in techniques, but regardless most shinobi fought within a hundred meters of each other. The furthest target was at a 175 yard which was equal to just over 160 meters. In which case, the fact that the bullet still appeared to land instantaneously after pulling the trigger, was mind blowing. Even more so when the targets were all equipped with the standard issue shinobi flak jackets.

This penetrative power was all derived from the reaction between Shirou's chakra and the explosive seal contained within the musket's barrel.

Still, the only downside to firing at such a distance was the plummet in accuracy.

Reimu had once been able to shoot the first and second target with near a hundred percent accuracy, yet the final target remained at fifty and lower, the bullets straying from a linear path and curving slightly as they flew due to outside influence.

Yet this decrease in accuracy didn't take away from the novelty of the moment as even some skilled Shinobi may miss at a distance of over 160 meters. And even then, the speed in which the kunai or shuriken could reach the enemy shinobi was inferior to the bullet whose design was sleeker and weighed less to allow for maximum propulsion. Furthermore, how much faster would it be when the same technique of coating one's chakra around a kunai or shuriken to increase their speed was applied to the bullet?

The atmosphere instantly became heated as the attention of the group shifted onto the fact that they would be learning how to use this weapon. Seeing this Reimu couldn't help but gloatingly grin, her mental age as a twelve-year-old surfacing on her transformed older appearance. Yet many did not pay attention to this, instead they were too busy recovering from their stupor.

It was five minutes later that the group was able to calm down, and Shirou was able to pry the musket away from Reimu's hands. Ever since she had first fired it, Shirou had allowed her to practice non-stop with it as it wasn't taxing on the body or one's chakra reserves, especially an Uzumaki's.

Seeing the reluctance on Reimu's face as Shirou gave the musket away for the others to try, Shirou realized he'd created a gun enthusiast. It was even more apparent when she glared at each individual hoping to speed up the process so the musket would then return back to her hands.

By the end of the day, everyone had gotten the chance to try the musket, and even then, a few became like Reimu and nearly refused to hand it back to her. It was only when Shirou said that each person present would be getting a musket later that tensions eased.

Sighing, Shirou looked silently at this rowdy group of individuals from the Amendment District. It was his hope that he could create a force strong enough to defend the village he grew up in even without his presence.

Yet with the process of arming everyone in the Amendment District smoothly underway. It was still going to take a great deal of time. The list he had been obtained from Taku contained the names of the villagers who were reasonable to a degree. Those people would then be the first individuals to be trained in the use of the musket.

Then again, he wasn't that trained himself, but at least he had the basic knowledge of firing due to seeing firearms on Earth.

Still, when he noticed Reimu begin to haggle with him for a second musket, and the rest soon following, he realized that organization may take far longer than he imagined.

Especially when Hideki had informed him that the majority of failed shinobi failed because of lack of teamwork due to their own selfishness.

He left the area while shaking his head after seeing Reimu attempt to assert her position by boasting that she was the first to fire the gun.

* * *

Over the course of the next several days, many in the Amendment District would look curiously towards the direction West of the district's walls wondering what the sound of banging was.

This was because more and more people had been recruited to begin practice with the musket after the initial twenty. In this case, it was a small standard of fifty or so people diligently training in hopes of being taken out into missions.

However, no matter what training this group did or how prepared they were, only experience would be able to hone their skills. To that end, Shirou had already proposed to Hideki about taking them outside the village to intercept the scouts detected along Uzu's borders.

They were the second troop sent to monitor Uzu's activities after the initial attack had failed. Most of the shinobi of this group were recognized as non-affiliated due to the absence of any identifiers to their specific village.

Once again Hideki grew increasingly infuriated. What kind of great Village would resort to such tactics that they would be afraid to reveal allegiances? Although from a tactical perspective he could grudgingly understand, but he was an Uzumaki and he preferred the individuals who were more straight forward.

In that case, Hideki resolved to capture a few alive and obtain answers himself. It was his own carelessness that prevented him from doing so last time and allowed the enemy captives to commit suicide due the negligence of the guards during transport. Because of this, he was unable to pinpoint which among the Great Villages had sent their forces to attack Uzu. After all, Uzu was attacked by a Tailed Beast Ball, and only the Great Villages were known to possess the Tailed-Beasts.

Somehow, Hideki needed to acquire information on the enemy.

Now that Shirou had offered a means that wouldn't require the mobilization of the Shinobi he had stationed to protect the village, Hideki was reluctant to refuse. As a leader, Hideki knew the importance of letting one's forces undergo a baptism of blood regarding War and life and death battles. It was required to get over the feeling of taking another's life, and to prevent any hesitation from forming after being instructed orders an individual may not agree with. Yet Hideki's main concern lied in the fact that it was too early. At best, he had only allowed Shirou a little more than two weeks to begin recruitment in the Amendment District, and as such, Hideki was skeptical that any group Shirou could propose would be up to the challenge. After all, Hideki knew how long it took to train shinobi, and even talented ones required time.

The situation to Hideki was just inconceivable, but that was until Shirou invited him to witness the strength of this squad himself.

Due to the prestige of the Uzukage, Shirou had informed him to hide himself amidst the scenery to prevent any mishaps from occurring.

Shirou himself also hid beside Hideki to explain any questions the man may have.

It was better that way. If either of them were to reveal themselves, the light atmosphere may become a tad strained with many attempting to recklessly impress them.

In any case, the two positioned themselves just out of site beneath a dense foliage of shrubs.

"What are they doing, and what are those things?" Hideki asked looking towards the muskets every person in the training field was holding.

Shirou then held off from explaining until the people there lead by Reimu and Teimu who was dragged along, began preparations to fire.

Listening to Shirou's explanation, Hideki expression remained neutral, his posture displaying nothing of his thoughts. Yet, that all changed from the moment Reimu and Teimu fired, destroying the numerous targets at the first volley with only furthest targets remaining.

The effective range of the musket was normally around sixty meters before bullets would begin to veer, but because of the explosive reaction caused by Shirou's chakra, the effective range increased. It was entirely due to the shape of the musket, allowing pressure to build, but only able to release it in one direction. It was also because of this pressure that it would be impossible for other villages to build.

The material durable enough to endure the strain produced without wearing down too quickly was nothing short of rare. Steel was only applicable because of Shirou's use of reinforcement, but regular steel would not be able to withstand the reaction of Shirou's chakra.

In any case, what was most important at the moment was gaining Hideki's approval to operate.

And from the look of his open mouth and dilated eyes, Hideki was greatly shocked with the result.

As Shirou explained further about the musket was used and its low chakra consumption, Hideki grew quieter and quieter to the point it barely appeared as if he was breathing. Then again, it was because Hideki's thoughts drifted and lingered towards a question he had asked Shirou.

 _Was it good for Civilian use?_

The answer to that question, was yes.

For the rest of the time Hideki remained to watch the others practice, the man didn't utter a word, nor did his expression ever change.

Shirou didn't disturb Hideki either because this was a matter of great importance.

Thus, it was silent between the two from the moment the gunshots fired, to the moment the two departed and went their separate ways.

Shirou would return to his home where his parents were busy bickering with each other about what to bring and what not to bring to Konoha for his and Kushina's birthday.

While Hideki would return to his office that day with a solemnness in his gaze as he took a stamp and paper, and approved the request Shirou had made.

* * *

The Flat Plains was a stretch of land just past the patches of dense coastal forest near the shores of the island Uzu was built on. This was quite rare because of the geography of the Land of Water consisting mainly of hills and wet land, but it was probably because the location of the Flat Plains resembled a basin. This area would normally flood when the rainy season arrived.

Because of its peculiar shape, it made it difficult for others to see that a group of people were bunched up near the middle of the area. Their clothing was different from a shinobi's, the entire uniform was just a mismatch of protective gear. But what distinguished them was the red swirl emblazoned onto their upper left chest. This was the symbol of Uzu, a twisting whirlpool.

Reimu, Teimu, and Tsuki were present in this group of people, and Reimu acted as a sub-leader due to her experience with the musket. Shirou as the actual leader was missing from this group, as he was tasked with drawing the enemy in.

After all, Shirou knew better than anyone just how inferior Reimu and the others would be should any enemy shinobi manage to disrupt their ranks. The group wasn't well coordinated, and to top it off, adrenaline and excitement were running high. For many, this would be their first mission outside the village, and that was more than enough to cause agitation. After all, Shirou had instructed them all to sit still under cover of the tall grass before receiving a signal to attack.

Yet many in the group could barely follow even that instruction.

This was why Shirou had decided to take this battle to the Flat Plains. There, the enemy Shinobi could not utilize their surroundings to flank the group, and were forced into a direct confrontation. In which case, it was the preferred battle field of the musket.

The problem was though, the enemy wouldn't just randomly enter the Flat Plains.

This was why Shirou was currently moving in the enemy's direction.

He was silent as he moved through the forest, pausing as he took a glance down at the map in his hands. It was something Hideki had given to him after instructing him about the very plan he was using.

After Hideki had witnessed the training of the musket group, he had already been able to perceive the group's weakness and strengths due to his experience as a leader. This was why he had aided Shirou in formulating the plan in the first place, to prevent too many casualties.

Yet it was only after Shirou's insistence that Hideki reluctantly allowed Shirou to act as the bait for the plan. This was because in Hideki's eyes, Shirou was too precious to risk losing. But Hideki had no choice in the matter as Shirou reasoned that he was the only one capable of leading the musket group as he knew the most of the weapon's capabilities. Thus, casualties could be reduced to a minimum if he was there.

The map in Shirou's hands showed the general area around him with a large circle drawn at the upper right corner of the map. This was an indication of where the force of the enemy scouts was camped.

They were camped within the coastal forest to provide cover and make it easy to escape should they be caught. This was why it was going to be difficult. Unless he could come up with something of value to get the enemy shinobi to chase him, then they would just leave as they would know that their position was compromised.

He didn't have an idea yet, but he could probably think of something when he was closer to observe the group.

Glancing at the seal drawn onto his clothes, he felt a sense of confidence in it.

It was a seal Hideki had given him and personally activated to mask his chakra signature to prevent enemy sensors from locating his position.

With it, he wouldn't be worried after entering the enemy shinobi's camp. This was the confidence he had in the top-grade seals made from the Uzumaki Clan.

Preparation ready, he quickly began making his way towards the designated location.

Yet his body stiffened fifteen minutes away from reaching the enemy camp. After all, he seemed to have encountered them early.

Shifting his weight to one leg, he swung over to the top of a tree and peered down below at the shinobi beneath, his expression growing grim.

This, this wasn't the number that was reported. There were too many, around 400. Even then, this group of shinobi were not lightly equipped for reconnaissance, instead, they were fully armed.

Therefore, he quickly concluded that this was a separate group.

If this extra group of enemy Shinobi were to meet up with the other group specified on the map, then he was certain that Reimu, Teimu, Tsuki, and the others wouldn't be able to live. Even if he abandoned the idea of drawing the enemy shinobi towards Teimu and the rest, it was almost guaranteed that they'd be intercepted on their way back to the village, forcing him to act anyway. This was entirely due to the musket group's inexperience.

He clicked his tongue as he lost himself in thought, his body following silently behind this unexpected group of enemies.

It didn't take long before only a single solution presented itself in his mind.

He had to take them out, or reduce their numbers.

Yet looking at the distance between this group and the one camped in the upper right corner of the map, he was in a troublesome predicament. If he added the number present within both groups, it would be difficult to prevent a few from escaping.

In that case he had to defeat this second group as silently as possible and then lead those remaining towards the Flat Plains.

He closed his eyes, and in the next moment, he vanished, a black bow gripped in his hands.

* * *

Isamu was the Jounin in charge of leading a unit of shinobi whose purpose was to meet up with a second group of shinobi tasked with locating the cargo shipments headed towards Uzu. It was Isamu's and his shinobi's job to intercept these shipments to cripple Uzu's economy and livelihood. There were many ways to win a war, and since the frontal didn't achieve much results, then at least this method could prove effective. After all, once the food and supplies within Uzu ran out, the defenders would have to resort to being the attackers to reclaim their trading lines.

In that case, the advantage would then fall into Isamu's affiliated side as Uzu was not known for its offensive. The only thing worth noting was the caution everyone felt after witnessing the strength of a single spear in Uzu's possession.

By now, news had already spread to the other villages, which was why the scouting unit was not only sent to verify Uzu's trading line, but to ascertain the truth of the spear by gathering information.

"Hey you, the hell are you doing?" Isamu questioned, staring at the kunoichi in his group that suddenly stopped moving.

The Kunoichi furrowed her brows. "Sir," she began, her eyes scanning up at the trees. "I could have had sworn I saw something up there a second ago."

Isamu's eyes widened before he quickly voiced a question. "Can you sense anything?"

The kunoichi Isamu was talking to was what was known as a sensor, a shinobi that specialized in locating enemies with chakra sense, making them vital for any covert missions.

The kunoichi closed her eyes. "No sir, I-"

A choked gurgle escaped from the Kunoichi's mouth, her eyes drifting fearfully down towards the twisted sword impaled through her stomach. An expression of unwillingness flashed across her face before blood trickled down her mouth, and she collapsed on the ground, dead.

"Enemy attack!" Isamu immediately warned, pained with the loss of one of the group's Sensors.

Immediately, the trained shinobi under Isamu's command drew their weapons, shouts and orders echoing within the surroundings to organize the group near 400.

Yet nothing they did could find the assailant.

One by one, the shinobi under Isamu were shot down at an unbelievable rate.

Some getting shot through the stomach, others attempting to block but being left with no arms as a result.

It was too frightening.

When more than fifty were killed within minutes, panic began to ensue.

"Shit!" A Jounin beside Isamu yelled, barely dodging the projectile that came at him. "This fucker's trying to break our formation. Get them under control Isamu!"

"I know damn it," Isamu cursed as his eyes adjusted to the speed of the projectiles. They were moving faster than any kunai or shuriken Isamu had ever seen, not giving much time for anyone to react before dying.

Isamu clicked his tongue before he felt his body shoved forward. He staggered, a snarl about to spew from out of his mouth before it died in his throat.

His fellow Jounin stood in his place, a sword pinning his leg to the ground.

"H-Hurry up and do something before we're all wiped out," the Jounin grunted, forcing back the pain.

"Y-You, just hold on. Don't sound like your dying yet," Isamu immediately pulled out the sword pinning the Jounin's leg to the ground. He then turned his gaze away to look for something to staunch the bleeding, but when he turned back, a dead body with a sword stabbed through the chest greeted him.

"AGHH!" He screamed in anger. "Burn it down, destroy everything!"

Saying that, Isamu immediately pulled out the explosive seals in his holster and began madly throwing them out to the surrounding foliage. Everyone soon followed after his example, reducing the area to smoke, dust, and flying debris.

Rage in his eyes, Isamu immediately began scanning the area for any sign of movement, his hands forming seals for a water jutsu.

When the dust began to move, he had his target.

"Water style: Scattering Bullets Technique!"

From Isamu's mouth, a wide volley of water bullets spewed out, scattering the dust and revealing the dull looking face of one of his subordinates before impact.

The water bullets smashed heavily into his subordinate's body, rendering the man unconscious.

Isamu's eyes widened in disbelief before he felt utter humiliation.

Once again, the onslaught of projectiles commenced.

It was like an eagle on the hunt, with twisted swords for talons and a maneuverability like wings.

It was a situation of the predator and the prey.

"Retreat towards the camp!" It was the only decision Isamu could come to after watching more and more of his subordinates dying.

The camp from the scouting unit was located in a clearing away from any foliage. Their attacker would not be able to attack from the shadows there.

Still, the original number of 400 had already dropped to 300 in matter of moments. In the end, how many archers were there and how could they keep so well hidden?

Isamu had no answers for such a thing.

Instead, all he felt right now was fear and indignation.

Fear that he would be the next to be struck down.

Almost as soon as Isamu finished giving his orders, a chill travelled down his back, compelling him to move. There in his original spot, was a gleaming twisted sword.

Isamu gulped, shutting his mouth and refusing to talk any further lest the enemy single him out.

Kicking up dust as he ran, the others of his group quickly followed his example.

Up in the far distant trees, the archer stared blankly at the retreating group of shinobi, raising his black bow up again in preparation to fire.

Never would Isamu had imagined that the enemy archer was that far away. It was the reason why his idea to bombard the surroundings proved useless.

Regardless, the archer couldn't care less about Isamu's plans.

Because the archer had his own.

Another 'arrow' was shot killing another shinobi near Isamu, yet not Isamu himself.

Because of this, Isamu was greatly relieved, but as a result he became even more frightful and mixed in with a crowd.

400 had become 300, and then 300 down to less than 90 in the span of the retreat to open the scouting unit's camp.

Isamu was on the verge of an aneurysm, his rage spiking his blood pressure. So many had died under his command, and he had no explanation for it aside from his incompetence which he refused to admit.

It was by this time that he finally obtained a visual of the assailant archer. To keep up with Isamu and the rest, the archer had no choice but to reveal himself as he moved forward from tree to tree.

Isamu swore that once he got close to this bastard, he would tear him limb by limb and then feed them to him.

For now, though, his sole priority was to get himself and his subordinates to the safety of the camp.

Isamu and the rest reached it in another five minutes, another forty of them dying under fire. Upon arriving, Isamu called upon the fifty or so shinobi of the scouting unit without explanation to press close to the center of the clearing away from the range of the archer.

Strangely, as Isamu and the bewildered shinobi of the scouting unit huddled together at the center of the camp, the archer stepped forward from out of the forest.

The archer stood at the edge of the clearing, his appearance drawing a gasp from Isamu and the rest. After all, the archer wore an Uzu style ANBU armour and snake mask.

Isamu had the revelation that he and his unit of nearly 400 were attacked by a single shinobi of Uzu and forced to retreat. The humiliation caused the veins of his eyes to turn red.

The archer moved a hand to his back where it appeared as if he was drawing his last shot. After all, there did not appear to be any other twisted sword on his person.

Nocking it, the archer aimed, and Isamu's breath hitched as he quickly deduced the trajectory.

Isamu's head.

Almost instantaneously the arrow was fired before Isamu could even give the order to stop the archer from shooting.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!" One of the Jounin from the scouting unit released his justu, creating a wall of earth several meters thick that stopped the archer's last arrow.

Said arrow was inches away from Isamu's eyes, having penetrated through the layers of hard rock. His handsome face instantly paled before he began stammering.

"H-He's out of projectiles!" Isamu said before he regained his calm.

Noticing this fact, and then noticing that the archer had turned to run away after the earth wall receded, Isamu blanked for a moment before he exploded.

"You Bastard! Where do you think YOU'RE GOING!"

Isamu was outraged.

Not only had this unknown archer killed so many of his men and women, but now after meeting up with the shinobi of the scouting unit, the archer was fleeing after running out of projectiles?

This was a clear case of overconfidence on the enemy's part; how else could Isamu explain it after witnessing this archer kill so many? This was a chance, and he wouldn't let it go.

It was unforgivable. Of the unit Isamu was in charge of, less than a fourth had survived to join the scouting group.

"After him!" Isamu yelled, being one of the first to pursue.

It would be in everyone's best interest if Uzu was denied such an exceptional shinobi.

As Isamu and the remnants of his subordinates followed after the archer, those shinobi of the scouting unit were quick to follow as Isamu was of a higher rank and a commanding Jounin.

The other Jounins from the scouting group didn't even bother to send a report back as they didn't know how many people the archer had really killed. All the information they had from their backers was that reinforcements were on the way. Granted they were disappointed with the number.

Still, they weren't worried about a single archer. Even more so when they considered the surety of the archer's death with how many shinobi were chasing after him.

Thus, the Jounin of the scouting group quickly followed the pace of Isamu who was growing increasingly frustrated.

Chasing after the archer was not only for vengeance, but to prevent information from spreading and alerting Uzu. Keeping on the archer's tail, Isamu and the rest were soon lead to a basin with open fields of tall grass reaching their waists at the bottom.

Not too far away from Isamu and the rest was the archer.

"Now!" The archer suddenly yelled.

Suddenly, from the tall grass a distance out from Isamu and the rest appeared a group of agitated looking youths. Based on the red swirl the group of youths were wearing, it was clear their affiliation belonged to Uzu. In other words, they were enemies.

Isamu scoffed, not even putting this group of youths into his eyes.

Even if most of the group Isamu had been leading had died, there was still a substantial number remaining after combining forces with the scouting unit. If there were around 100 of them, then there were around fifty of the youths.

Confident in his group's victory, and filled with thoughts of vengeance towards the archer that had joined the youths, Isamu recklessly gave the order to charge forward. His hands then immediately went through a flurry of hand seals, preparing himself to launch his jutsu as soon as the youths came within range.

Yet,

A single word echoed into the ears of Isamu and the rest as they all stared bewildered at the group of youths with pipes in their hands.

"FIRE!"

The introduction of firearms was revolutionary, much like the way it was when they were first invented on Earth replacing the concept of 'cold' weapons. Bringing them to a fight, the consequences would be apparent on this day of the first week of July.

Everything was still,

Gunshots sounding in the silence of the bloodied plains.

* * *

 **Thanks for Reading, and thanks to my newest Parton:**

 **P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**

 **Next update: Fate in Time**


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